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DORADO PUBLISHING CO., 
INDIANAPOLIS, IND. 



'^ad COPY, 
1898* 




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ILLUSTRATED. 



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oV *Doracio ^ublishiny Compani/, 
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2090^ 



COPYRIGHT 1897, 

BY ALBERT MORLAN. 



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CONTKNTS, 



CHAPTER I. 

how it came to pass and other matters pertaining to the start. 
Bewze. — Inhabitants and history 



5 /'/ 



CHAPTER II. 
AT THE "American hotel"— a carib village, historical sketch oi? 

this strange people — A EUNERAL — SAIL ON THE RiO DULCE 27 

CHAPTER III. 
Something about bananas — arrive at Puerto Cortez— touch of 
the chills — model hotel 49 

CHAPTER IV. 

A CRUISE ALONG THE NORTH COAST OP HONDURAS— VISIT TRUXILLO — 
LANDING — STUDY A WATERSPOUT — WaLKER THE FILIBUSTER- SPAN- 
ISH CRUELTY AND ENGLISH PERFIDY ": 67 

CHAPTER V. 
Visit lhe Bay Islands, Bonacca, Ruatan, Utilla— night of storm 

BACK at the port 85 

CHAPTER VI. 
GrEAT trans-continental railroad— flying trip ozer the same — 
TOWN OF San Pedro — small earthquake — waiting 99 

CHAPTER VII. 
Services of Mo.ses and Aaron secured— final arrangements for 

T"E OVERLAND TRIP— the START— AMONG THE MOUNTAINS — SaNTA 
CRUZE and its MINES — PRIMITIVE VILLAGES — BEAUTIFUL SCENERY, 111 

CHAPTER VIII. 
a pleasant surprise— colines and a wedding — drink the bride's 
health and loose our own — beautiful days on the road — 
Santa Barbara — home of the president —loss of Moses and 
Aaron 127 

CHAPTER IX. 
From Santa Barbara to the capitol, with .some digressions 143 

CHAPTER X. 
Tegucigalpa — interview with the president — off for the coast — 

arrive at Amapala 165 

CHAPTER XI. 

City of Leon — an honest cabman — Momotombo — storm on Lake 
Managua — arrive at the capitol^its industries 181 

CHAPTER XII. 
City of Grenada— Hotel De Los Leons 197 



Preface* 



It was the writers intention to impose this work on the public 
-without the formality of a preface'. It seemed bad enough as it 
was, but certain critical friends declared it would never do, "You 
must offer some excuse," they insisted, "for writing a book at all, 
the people have not asked for it and it is no more than right they 
should have an explanation of the motive that prompted so reckless 
an undertaking." 

I, therefore, began looking over a lot of books, ancient and 
modern, hoping to find something to copy and save any further 
trouble, but when I saw that most writers devoted the space under 
this heading to giving credit to certain other writers whose works 
they had filched to produce their own, I said, " I'll never do it." 
The reader may pick out the stolen passages himself, and if his 
conscience is too sensitive to allow him to retain them— why, he 
can return them to their respective owners. I had enough trouble 
to steal them, and besides I can't remember now just where they 
belong, so if the dear reader can construe this into an apology, 
and feels any better satisfied thereby, the writer is very glad indeed i 
and feels more than paid for the exertion it has cost. 

As for a motive, I had absolutely none, beyond the sordid one, 
of selling you a copy, which having accomplished, I wish to thank 
you personally for your contribution and beg to remain. 

Yours very truly, 
Indianapolis, Ind. ThS Author. 




/ 



^ 



A Hoosier in Honduras* 



CHAPTER I. 



HOW IT CAMK TO PASS AND OTHER MATTERS PERTAINING TO THE 
START — BEIvIZE : INHABITANTS AND HISTORY. 

One bleak winter day the writer conceived the brilliant idea of 
escaping cold blasts and gas bilk by taking an excursion tropic- 
ward, while pondering on the subject the postman appeared with 
a letter, which upon examination pi^v^ed an invitation to join a 
trading expedition to the interior of Honduras, with side trips into 
Gautemala and Nicaragua, to say nothing of a coast wise pilgrim- 
age which was also to include the Bay Islands. Some passages 
in this brief communication fired the immagination, and the > outh- 
ful longing to visit the scenes of romantic adventure recorded by 
the followers of Columbus, Cortez, Balboa and other equally daring 
albeit, reckless characters, was at once revived. Other sentences 
bordered on the sentimental, for the letter was from an old friend, 
and if he occasionally approached the poetical form of expression 
he was certainly to be excused. Even the practical business man, 
will sometimes forget himself, so in this instance memories of child- 
ish exploits and asperations were vividly recalled. 

"Together we will sail the 'sunny summer seas' that we used 
to dream about ; climb gold veined mountains, explore mahogany 
forests, examine volcanoes, study earthquakes" — but enough — the 
concluding lines seemed to settle the matter" I await your letter 
of acceptance," said he, "and have quite decided not to listen to 
any excuses — come. ' ' 

Outside the air was thick with falling snow, and huge icicles 
hung from the eaves. The bare branches of an old cherry tree 
lashed the side of the house in remembrance of some old grudge, 
maybe — or perhaps it was simply because the furious blast aroused 
a spirit of animosity which was in a measure appeased by thrash- 
ing the only object within reach. 



6 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

A few of the nearest houses could be seen, and these but 
dimly through the ever increasing storm. The street with its long 
rows of telephone poles and trolley supports was swallowed up in a 
strange white gloom. From time to time, the dim outline of some 
venturesome pedestrian would appear for an instant before the win- 
dow, struggling bravely with the tempest, the next moment they 
were swept from view. The heavy trucks and express wagons 
that usually filled the air with their din, now stole by as silent as a 
funeral train, the drivers looking like sheeted ghosts who had 
somehow escaped the grip of death and returned to their duty, sil- 
ent and sad, and w^hite as the street below. 

Only the voice of the wind was heard as it rattled the windows 
and shook the doors, now shrieking with rage, now moaning in 
despair to find every opening stoutly locked against it — such was 
the day when the shivering carrier, half blinded by the storm, 
brought the brief message referred to. 

According to the terms of the invitation, there seemed but one 
thing to do, — therefore a letter of acceptance was penned and 
posted. — 

In about two weeks came the reply. He now wrote more 
fully, even enclosing a catalogue of articles necessary to the com- 
fort of travelers in a tropical wilderness, among which were 
"slickers" to protect us from the storms on the mountains, saddles, 
blankets, leggings, spurs, hammocks, a chest of medicine, a small 
selection of books, a bundle of newspapers, a great variety of 
canned goods, with a lot of "cordials" put up in large long-necked 
bottles, these were only to be used in cases of emergency, — of course. 
The list also included a stock of rubber goods to protect us from 
dampness when sailing those "Sunny Summer Seas" which he 
now admitted became quite rough at times when teased by the 
vagrant winds that loaf around in those latitudes. 

I learned later that my correspondent was a very careful, con- 
servative writer, and his intimations regarding the weather were 
in no wise exaggerated, in fact he might have drawn a much more 
vivid picture of those laughing waves and rollicking winds and 
still left a wide margin for my imagination to sketch in, for I had 
no conception of the force of the tornadoes, cyclones and hurri- 
canes that occanionally sweep across the otherwise calm surface of 
the Carribean Sea. 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 7 

This letter was followed by another, a few days later with fuller 
information, and an additional list of "necessaries" which included 
such trifles as thread, needles, pins, buttons, cork-screws, knives, 
forks, cups and a hundred other articles that are called for every 
day in civilized life, but which we are so accustomed to that we 
are quite unconscious of their usefulness — however, a couple of 
weeks busy preparation saw the work completed, and, one cold, 
clear morning I took the train amid huge drifts of snow. Forty 
hours lattfer found us walking between walls of roses, in the city 
of New Orleans, where we spent a few days looking over this, the 
quainest city in the United States. We explored the French quarter 
with its famous market, the ancient cathedral, Jackson's Park, the 
old slave market, the warfs, the large, elegant stores, which line 
Canal Street, from which the canal has disappeared and its place 
taken by a street railway, over whose tracks small, uncomfortable 
cars are drawn by unwilling mules, whose eccentric dispositions 
keep the driver in a state of uncertain expectancy that has driven 
some to suicide and others to drink. After having visited the 
Spanish fort, the cemetaries and the famous "shell roads," which 
by the way are sadly out of repair, we sought the office of the 
Machecka Bros. , 129 Decatur street and purchased tickets for 
Belize and shortly took possession of our quarters on board the 
"Break-water," Captain C.W. Clark commanding; a little over three 
days — or to be more accurate, a little less than four days sailing 
brought us within sight of the pretty little city of Belize, which is 
the capital of British Honduras, the largest and most important 
port on the eastern coast of Central America. The approach to 
this place is interesting from the fact that it was for many 5^ears the 
rendezvous of an organized band of pirates, who practically ruled 
the Western Seas for a generation or so in the seventeenth cen- 
tury. Each wooded island and rocky "Spit" has its legends of 
buried treasures, which, however, is so carefully guarded by the 
. Spirits of the departed, or was so cleverly hidden, that no one has 
ever been able to locate a single "cache," although we read almost 
every week of wonderful "finds" of this character, investigation 
invaribly proved the story to be, either a newspaper hoax cut out 
of the whole cloth, or the gradual accumulation of gossip, growing 
out of some insignificant circumstance, such as the discovery of a 
fragment of ancient crockery or other ship's stores which had been 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 




HON. A. E. MORLAN, U. S. CONSUI^, PORT OF BELlEZ. 




U. S. CONSULATE. 



A HoosiBR IN Honduras. 9 

thrown on shore after some wreck. I doubt if there is a single 
authentic case on record where treasure in any appreciable quan- 
tity has been found — however, each year brings fresh victims from 
all parts of the world, every one of whom feel confident they have 
the "key" to these m5'Sterious deposits of wealth, and after spending 
all the money they possess, return to their respective homes, sad- 
der and poorer, possibly wiser. They come from everywhere 
armed with "divining rods," "witches wands," "magnetic indica- 
tors," and a Hundred other devices invented by the ingenious Yan- 
kee, to meet the demands of these fortune seeking hordes, which 
seem to increase rather than diminish, with the passing years. 
Indeed, so great has been the rush of treasure hunters, during the 
last decade, the government has taken advantage of the craze and 
now issues a regular licence or "privilege" which has proved quite 
a source of revenue. The shrewd official who drew up this docu- 
ment, inserted a clause providing that a certain proportion of the 
wealth recovered shall become the property of the crown, or words 
to that effect, thus conveying the impression that the government 
indorses the absurd tales concerning the hidden spoils of the 
ancient but indiscreet buccaneer. 

The fact is, the old pirates of the seventeeth century were not 
such fools as to bury their hard-earned wealth where they could 
not find it when wanted, and there is probably very little founda- 
tion for the extravagant yarns that have been handed down from 
generation to generation, acquiring new and startling features from 
time to time at the hands of those who feed their imagination on 
these grotesque and improbable traditions. Many practical jokes 
have been perpetrated on the credulous cranks who pass their 
lives dreaming of the wealth that might have been honestly 
acquired, perhaps, by the systematic saving of the depised penny. 

As has been stated, many practical jokes are played on these 
unsuspecting dreamers, but so eager and blind are they, as a rule, 
that the most transparent counterfeit passes without question. 
Most of these fairy tales have their origin in the fertile brain of 
some Jack Tar of whose ingenuity and industry, in the matter of 
romancing, all the world knows. Here is a specimen: 

Jim Iv , second mate of the good ship B , who had 

been born on the water and who had, to use his own expression, 
never been out of his "mother's lap" in all the fifty-five years of 



10 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

his eventful life, was one of those whose chief delight consisted in 
catering to the abnormal appetites of these seekers after lost treas- 
ures, and his leisure hours were mainly devoted to the construction 
of charts, showing the exact location of the hidden wealth, enter- 
ing into all the details with a minuteness that left the possessor no 
room to doubt his ability to go right to the spot and dig it up. In 
some of these, a very careful invoice of the money and valuables 
was given showing precisely where each lot was located — all by 
characters or ciphers, no words being used. 

These charts would sometimes turn up at an auction in I^on- 
don, or Paris, or perhaps would be discovered in the chest of a dead 
seaman, or some junk shop, or, in some instances, they were cast 
adrift to be picked up on the shores of one of the numerous cays in 
the neighborhood, but wherever they appeared they aroused the 
enthusiasm of the idle dreamers, and were welcomed bj'- the world 
at large, for to tell the truth, there are few so practical that stories 
of hidden millions will not for a moment at least find interest in 
the tale, no matter how improbable it may be. The following cut 
is a fac-simile of one of these bogus charts, and shows on what 
dubious foundations these collosal structures of the imagination 
often rest, and on what flimsy pretexts, men, apparently sane, in 
other matters, will leave home and business, often investing large 
sums in the venture and not infrequently completing the sacrifice 
with their lives, as did a certain Mr. Horn whose excursions in this 
romantic field is the excuse for this article with its illustration, and 
if by its publication some poor dupe is saved the sad experience 
that is sure to follow adventures of this character, the writer will 
feel amply rewarded. 

This ingenious work was executed with great care on a piece 
of parchment which had been previously prepared by staining to 
give it the appearance of age. The figures were drawn with a 
camel hair pencil, the medium used was an indelible ink of light 
brown color which penetrated the material and could not be erased: 




THE delusive; chart. 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 11 

It was some such document that had fallen into the hands of 
the Mr. Horn aboved referred to, on the head of which he had 
embarked in the hazardous enterprise which proved so disastrous. 
The amount of treasure accounted for by the "key", in his posses- 
sion, was, he declared, about $1,400,000 and he confidently 
expected to return to the states with this amount in a few weeks at 
the farthest. How he succeeded will be told in another chapter. 

To those who care to investigate the subject, the following 
extract from a recent writer on "Treasure Trove," may prove inter- 
esting. "According to the laws of England the finder of coin, 
gold and silver plate or bullion, "providing the same be hidde^i in 
the earth, is not entitled to the treasure but must give notice to the 
crown, to whom it belongs. If, however, the treasure is not hidden 
in and covered up by the earth, it becomes the property of the 
finder. The various colonies, however, have laws of their own, 
modified to suit the conditions, for instance, in India the finder 
holds the entire amount discovered, providing no owner can be 
found. In case the rightful owner appears the finder is entitled to 
three-fourths of the amount while the real owner must be satisfied 
with one-fourth only. However, the government reserves the 
right to purchase by the payment of one-fifth more than the value 
of the material." 

It was Sunday morning bright, calm, beautiful. The view 
from the deck, as we picked our way slowly and cautiously among 
the numerous cays and low green islands, was enchanting. In the 
far distance the white buildings of the city peeped timidly out from 
between long rows of royal palms, with here and there a clump of 
cocanut trees, easily distinguishable even at this distance by their 
long twisted trunks surmounted by a tuft of foiliage that looked 
almost black when contrasted with the brighter greens of the other 
vegetation. The immediate foreground was enlivened by a variety 
of sailing craft, with here and there an English Merchantman lying 
at anchor rocking gently with the swell of the sea. Occasionally 
a warning flag, or a bright red buoy, told of hidden rocks. 

At last we found ourselves fairly within the harbor where we 
anchored perhaps a half mile from shore. Here we were met by 
the officials of the Custom House who carefully went through our 
luggage, but finding nothing of a dangerous nature we were per- 
mitted to land. As we stepped ashore we were met by a young 



12 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

mau representing Mr. Christo Hempsted, who with his familj^ was 
enjoying a \Yeeks outing at one of the numerous resorts within a 
few hours sail of the cit}-. Through his representative, he begged 
us to take possession of his house during his absence, which we 
with characteristic freedom proceeded to do. Within a few min- 
utes after landing we found ourselves delightfully situated in the 
comfortable and roomj^ dwelling of our friend and fellow country- 
man, for Mr. Hemsted although a resident of Belize for more than 
twenty years, still retains his American citizenship, and withall is 
one of the best and biggest hearted men in Central America. Here 
we remained for several days. 

Meanwhile we accepted a pressing invitation from Mrs. Capt. 
Biddle, to be present regularly at her table, an invitation that was 
accepted with cheerful alacrity, and which proved one of thepleas- 
antest features of our visit, and it is with genuine pleasure that the 
writer hereby expresses his gratitude to this estimable lady for the 
many favors shown him during his stay in Belize. 

The history of the colonly of British Honduras is interesting, 
from the fact that it is the only Knglish dependency in Central 
America. The following facts concerning its discovery and subse- 
quent settlement, are taken from the "British Honduras Almanac," 
a veritable encyclopedia of information, and which has been issued 
annually for more than fifty years and is lovingly referred to by 
Mr. John ly. Stevens in his "Incidents of Travel in Yucatan," etc. 
A. D. 1839. 

"This colony is deserving of interest both on account of the 
romance of its past history and the promise of the importance and 
commercial success which it at present holds out. Situated as it 
is between 18 degrees 29 min. 5 sec. and 15 degrees 23 min. 55 sec. 
North Latitude and between 9 degrees 9 min. 22 sec. and 88 degrees 
10 min. West lyongitude, it contains some of the richest and most fer- 
tile lands on the face of the globe. To it Europe has to look for the 
greater part of its supplies of mahogany and logwood, the exportation 
of which is alone sufficient to render it a wealthy and thriving col- 
ony and in addition to the large interests involved in the supply of 
these and other valuable woods, there now seems every probability 
of its becoming of equal importance as a center for the exports for 
the various fruits which grow so abundantl}^ on the seward slopes 
of Yucatan. 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 13 

The climate, though damp and hot, is singularly healthy. 
Yellow fever and cholera are but rare visitors. Ague and malaria 
though somewhat more frequent, are by no means as prevalent as 
might be expected. To the north and south its boundaries are 
respectively the frontiers of Yucatan and Guatemala, while to the 
■east it is bounded by the Bay of Honduras and to the west b}^ a 
line laid down by the convention with Guatemala in 1859, extend- 
from the rapids of Gracios A Dios on the river Sarstoon, to Gar- 
butt's Falls on the Belize river and thence due north to the Mexi- 
can Frontier. The coast was discovered by Columbus in 1502 when 
looking for a passage to the China Seas and the interior is the 
scene, in part at least, of the famous and disastrous marcli of Cor- 
tez. The greatest length and breadth of the colony are respective!}^ 
174 and 68 statute miles, containing with the adjacent cays an 
area of about 7,562 square miles. The settlement was originally 
called Belize, ^he name now applied to the capitol only. It is 
supposed by some that it was originally settled by Buccaniers, who 
were attracted to the coast by the shelter and safety afforded to 
them by the extreme difficulty of navigation among the surround- 
ing cays and who were induced to remain on the dispersion of their 
main forces with the hope of gaining wealth in a more legitimate 
manner by cutting the woods of the country, and they were wise in 
their day, Jtor who, but a lunatic would risk life and limb in the 
somewhat doubtful business of pliindering an occasional ship when 
they could, by a few hours labor with a good axe, bring down a 
fortune of $2,500 to $3,000, for in the middle of the seventeenth 
century, logwood sold readily for $100 per ton, which has grad- 
ually fallen until at the present writing the price is only about $6. 

In 1671 Sir Thomas L-ynch, Govenor of Jamaica, reported to 
the King that "it increased his Majesty's custom and the national 
commerce more than any of his Majesty's colonies," showing that 
Belize was a flourishing and wealthy settlement more than 200 
years ago. From that time up to 1798 the territory was the cause 
of much bitter contention between England and Spain, which 
occasionally resulted in bloody conflicts. In 1786 England agreed 
to relinquish the Mosquito Shore in exchange for the privilege of 
•cutting mahogau}^ and logwood. By this treaty, England 
promised to abstain from erecting fortifications or other defensive 
Tivorks, thereby admitting the colony was, in name at least, under 



14 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

Spanish protection." This was what a Yankee would term a good 
trade. The Mosquito Shore was a howling wilderness noted only for 
its scorpions, centipedes and the swarms of those interesting little 
insects from which it takes its name, while Belize enjoyed a remark- 
ably salubrious climate for this latitude, besides abounding in those 
woods that had already proved more profitable than mines of gold 
or silver. Of course, the Spaniards soon discovered how they had 
been outwitted and determined to re-possess the valuable claim by 
force of arms, and to that end assembled a fleet of fifteen vessels 
with which, on September 10, 1798, they began an attack on the 
Harbor of Belize and after two days severe fighting were totally 
defeated in the memorable "Battle of St. Georges' Caye," which 
event has been celebrated by Mr. Christo Hempstead, the local 
poet, in the following stiring lines: 

ST. GEORGKS' CAYE. 
'Twas a dark, sultry and warm summers' night, 
When St. Geoeges' Caye people saw a wonderful sight, 
A bungay full of Spaniards all armed for a fray, 
Came sailing from windward, o'er Honduras Bay. 

CHORUS. 
Sing to rol ri urol — ri urol ri — a 

And they drove all those Spaniards so far, far away. 
Sing tu rol ri urol — ri urol urol ri — a 
And they made them all scamper from St. Georges' "K." 

The battle was fierce, and the battle was strong. 
The ^'Pork and Dough- Boys'" sticks, were both sharp and long, 
And each hardy "Bayman" grasped one in his hand. 

Saying we'll "chook" (spear) all those Spaniards the moment they land» 

REPEAT CHORUS. 

They "chooked" them, and speared them and drove them like fleas, 
Right into salt water way up to their knees, 
Some got to their bungays and poled quick away, 
Saying — ■'■'Vamonos Compadre" from St Georges' "K." 

REPEAT CHORUS. 

The battle now over, a victory hard brought. 
Each gallant old "Bayman" like the devil had fought, 
But thus gained their freedom by the sweat of their brow, 
And that was the end of St. Georges' "K" row. 

REPEAT CHORUS. 

The bungay got lost is the general belief, 
Way out on the "Spit," on a small bit of reef. 



A HoosiKR IN Honduras. 15 

Naught was ever seen of her keelson or keel, 
And "nary" a Spaniard or General O'Neal. * 

REPEAT CHORUS. 
Tune: Wilkins and his Dianah. 
* " General O'Neal was supposed to be a renegade, who deserted from 
the "Baymen" and went over to the Spaniards. 

Thus it was that the settlement became English by right of 
conquest as well as by convention. ' ' 

The city of Belize is probably the most cosmopolitan in char- 
acter of any place in the world of its size. Its population of eight 
or ten thousand includes citizens of England, France, Spain, Ger- 
many, Italy, Africa, China, South America, Mexico, the United 
States and Canada, not to mention the native Indians, Creoles, 
cock-roaches, fleas, land crabs, ants, scorpions, sandflies, mosqui- 
• toes, and turkey buzzards, locally known as "John Crows." 

This is a land of social and political equality and no discrim- 
ination is made in favor of any class except in the cases of the 
buzzard and roach. The former is protected by a special act of 
the legislature making the shooting of one of these birds punisha- 
ble by a fine of $25.00 for each offense. Although the price seemed 
quite reasonable, we refrained from killing any of them simply 
because it was not the style, besides one hates to see a man going 
around making a displaj^ of his wealth. 

The case of the cock-roach is different. He is protected by 
the stronger law of public opinion, consequently he assumes a 
degree of audacity unparalleled in any other country. Among the 
privileges accorded his lordship, the most notable is that of bath- 
ing in the water pitcher at all hours, but do not loose your temper, 
it is his right. Lift him out gently, place in a comfortable posi- 
tion on a chair, bowing low, you will beg his pardon for interrupt- 
ing his aquatic performance. You may now take a drink, provid- 
ing you still have the desire. O, don't think to escape his tyranny 
by drinking wine or beer for his authority extends over the whole 
territory and must be recognized alike by rich and poor. These 
are not the modest little fellows that are occasionally seen in the 
northern groceries glancing timidly around and vanishing like 
smoke at the slightest alarm, but great lordly loafers grown proud 
and arrogant through untold generations of supremacy. He is 
everywhere, on the table, in the bookcase, in the pantry, in the 
parlor, upstairs and down, "^ n the bed and und ^ it. When you 



16 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

wake from clanini}' dreams you will find him mounted on the high 
post at the foot of 3'our couch, looking down on 3'ou with lofty dis- 
dain, as he muses on the mutibility of man and his works. When 
he moves, he does so with "kingly leisure and courtly grace." He 
is "monarch of all he survej^-s," and he traverses his domain in 
imperial state. 

Belize is the negro's paradise. Here he enjoys every privilege 
that is accorded his white brother, and some besides, I am told. 

In the shops you are met b}^ smiling, black clerks; on the 
street you are jostled by a good-natured black throng. The 
police are black, likewise the mail-carriers and postal clerks. 

The police force, bj^ the way, is said to be very efficient, being 
composed of the "pick" of the province. They are tall, well pro- 
portioned, finely uniformed, and bear themselves as proudly as 
Roman soldiers. 




CUSTOM HOUSU. 

The government is very indulgent to its prisoners, allowing^ 
them to take a stroll about town every morning, from 8 to 12 
o'clock, and for exercise they are permitted to break stone or make 
any necessary improvements on the streets, for which they are very 
grateful, no doubt. 

I met a squad one morning starting out for their daily walk,, 
and noticed with pleasure the tender-hearted policy that sent a 
couple of officers along with the gang to see that they did not get 
hurt or lost in their rambles. To enable the officers to properly 
protect their wards they were armed with double-barrelled, breech- 
loading shot guns. 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 17 

Each convict had his name and number conspicuously lettered 
in bright red on the back of his shirt, which added not a little to 
their picturesque appearance. 

The houses are all frame, with one or two exceptions, and 
those of the better class, usually being three stories in height with 
balconies and wide verandas, over which are trained vines and 
climbing roses. The buildings are nearly all painted white with 
green blinds and the effect is charming. Flowers in endless 
variety flourish throughout the year, filling the air with their 
fragrance, among these, the oleander is one of the most conspic- 
uous, the tree attaining here its greatest perfection, often reaching 
a hight of twelve feet, its pink and white blossoms, contrasting 
beautifully with the dark green foliage of the mango trees, which 
are planted extensively for shade as well as fruit. 

The streets, which stretch away in every direction, were laid 
out without regard to regularity. They cross each other at ever5r 
possible angle, and describe the most remarkable curves ever con- 
ceived by a city engineer. However, these sudden turns are con- 
stantly revealing some new and unexpected feature, and one easily 
forgives the eccentric genius who planed this flowery maze when 
wandering through its mysterious depths. 

Regent street is an exception to the rule, being straight for a 
half mile or so, and it would be hard to imagine a prettier picture 
than that presented, looking down this avenue, bordered by wav- 
ing palms, its white balconied houses half hidden by vines and 
flowering shroubs, ending at last in a fine grove of mahogany trees, 
m the midst of which stands the mansion of the govenor. 

There are no sidewalks, every one taking the middle of the 
street, dodging hither and thither to avoid the donkey carts, cabs 
and horsemen. However, accidents seldom occur, and as there is 
no mud, and the "Brown Brigade" carefully takes up all dust and 
papers every morning we need not complain. 

Looking in almost any direction we have a background of blue 
sea with its white caps and hundreds of strange craft, known as 
dories, but which are peculiar to this locality, being constructed by 
hollowing out a log, and rigging sloop fashion. These are invari- 
bly manned by caribs who come hundreds of miles to buy and sell 
in the markets of Belize. 

Owing to the prevalence of the trade winds which sweep over 



18 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

the gulf from the east almost every week during the year, the 
climate is delightful at all seasons, the summers average about 85 
degrees and the winters about 10 degrees lower. 

One evening the chief of the fire department called to inquire 
if I would like to witness his company go through their fortnightly 
exercises, I told him confidentially that it was for that very pur- 
pose that I had left home and kindred and became a wanderer in a 
strange land. He was much affected, but restrained his feelings 
remarkably well, though there was a perceptible tremor in his 
voice as he grasped ni}- hand and said: "It is well' the desire of 
thj^ soul shall be granted. ' ' 

In less than fifteen minutes after it had been announced 
that the visitor wished to see the "nigger's whoop 'er up" every 
man was in his place, each arrayed in a flaming red shirt and shin- 
ing tin helmet. 

"lyively now boys," shouted the captain, and the way the old 
pump rattled down the street was frightful to contemplate.. 
The stentorian tones of the leader were drowned in the chorus of 
wild 5^ells that rose from the heroic band, as they charged madly 
along the principal thoroughfare, the rickety old engine lunging 
from side to side, threatening every moment to start on a deadl)" 
excursion through the crowd that lined the way, lending their voices 
to swell the unearthly din. The machine soon reached the river 
without accident, other than turning over a fruit stand on top of 
its terrified owner whose frantics struggles to extricate herself 
added greatly to the general joy. 

A half hour was now spent adjusting the suction house, dur- 
ing which each member acted as leader por tem. , giving orders to 
everj^ one, that no one obeyed; however, all was read}^ at 
last. The captain shouted, "Give it to 'er! make 'er howl: shake 
'er up lively; let 'er have it!" Thus encouraged each man put 
his soul in his work and bent to the task as if the salvation of the 
town depended on his single arm. Shortly the water reached the 
nozzle, spurting forth fitfully, but gradually increased in force and 
volume until a distance of thirty-five yard was recorded, which was 
<:onsidered remarkable. I thanked the captain and begged him to 
dismiss the perspiring crew, who were nearly dead from such 
unusual exertion. 

The town of Belize has been twice destroyed by fire, which 



A HoosiKR IN Honduras. 19 

accounts for this department, which is the only one in Central 
America. The danger is now much less than formerly, owing to 
the passing of an ordinance prohibiting any but metal or tile roofs. 
The town has many pretty churches and a number of large 
stores, where you can find everything under the sun except the one 
article you happen to need. Its public buildings are solid, if not 
elegant, and the market house would do credit to a city of much 
greater pretensions. 

The Belize river divides the town about equally, and is 
spanned by a bridge over which a motley crowd sweeps from 
early morning till late at night. 

Two weeklies, the Colonial Guardian and Belize Advertiser, 
supply the news a week after the rest of the world has forgotten it;. 
but the merchants are liberal advertisers, and both publications 
seem fairly prosperous, and each editor assures me that his paper 
has a larger circulation than all others combined, which proves 
that the printers instinct, is much the same the world over. 

Belize is a delighful place to spend a few weeks or months dur- 
ing the winter season, the climate during December, January, Feb- 
uruary and March is simply delightful, while the days are warm 
the nights are cool enough to make a blanket desirable. Hardly 
a cloud will be seen during these months, the air is laden with the 
perfume of flowering plants, pineapples and mangoes abound 
attaining their greatest perfection, oranges glisten amid the dark 
green foliage like the fabled apples of gold, and may be had for 
the picking, providing the owner's away. The private residences 
of the merchants are furnished with a degree of luxury that 
astonishes the visitor who has become possessed with the idea that 
life in the tropics mean simply straw huts and bananas. 

The markets furnish almost everything the appetite could wish 
except fresh butter and milk. These articles are imported in cans, 
mostly from France or England and answer the purpose very well. 
Numerous boarding houses and two first class hotels furnish ample 
accommodation for tourists. The Union Hotel is probably the best 
known. It was established in 1871 and is pleasantly located on 
North Front street, surrounded by ample grounds where one may 
sit in the shade and study the "Tariff" which is printed in English, 
and Spanish as follows: 



20 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

Precios. Charge. 

Por Dia 6s Board aud 

Almuerzo O Comida 2s Lodging 6s 

Cafe Is Breakfast or Dinner 2s 

Posada Solamente 3s Coffee Is 

Se Haceu Arreglos Lodging only 3s 

Especialls por Messes Arrangements for the month 

Semanas previo Aviso or week to be previously agreed 

upon. 

1 Lainfiesta Proprietor. 

This information is here inserted free of charge. Mr. Lain- 
fiesta deserves it for maintaining such a comfortable resort at such 
ridiculously low figures, only 6 s Por Dia and then his 
Almuerzo O Comido is most excellent and very reasonable at 
2s. I have personall)^ examined his Posada Solamente and find 
it perfect in qualit}^ and entirely satisfactory as to quantity, in fact 
no one could expect so large an amount for the trifling sum of 
.3s. . 

Within easy reach of Belize are a number of resorts where one 
ma}^ spend a day or two very plea'santly, and a sail over the spark- 
ling waters of the harbor, in the early morning or under the soft 
light of the moon, is a delightful experience which can be enjoj^ed 
at a trifling expense, as the supply of boats and sailors is always 
equal to the demand. The towns of Livingston and Puerto Cot- 
tez are within easy reach by steamer and well repay a visit. The 
former is the principal port of entree to Guatemala on the Atlantic 
side and is inhabited for the most part by the Carib Indians, whose 
strange houses and habits will prove an interesting study. The 
latter is the principal Atlantic port of Honduras and is connected 
with San Pedro by the only railroad m the republic. This bit of 
road is thirty-six miles long, and tourists who wish a novel exper- 
ience should ride over it. It cost little less than a million 
dollars a mile and is not paid for. There may be worse roads in 
the world but they have not been advertised. 

There are two great days in Belize. Monday when the mail 
arrives and Friday when it goes out. As the custom of the country 
is "never to do anything to-day that can be put off till to-morrow," 
the consequence is that Friday finds every one answering letters 
that ought to have been answered on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thurs- 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



21 



day. Don't speak to anyone now, if you value your life. Wan- 
der away to some secluded dell, anywhere to escape the scribbling 
pen. -The mail closes at 10 A. m. as the hour approaches the fury 
increases, to get their letters posted before the fatal stroke of the 
bell, now becomes the soul ambition of the Belizian, but there is 
one last hope — a kind, indulgent government, holds the steamer 
one hour longer during which letters may be taken aboard by pay- 
ing a double rate. From the income of this last hour, I was told, 
public buildings were erected, official salaries paid, hospitals and 
asylums maintained, but I am inclined to think my informant was 
not strictly reliable, at least not as reliable as I would wish if com- 
piling an Encyclopedia of general information. 




bridge; and marke;t house. 

The stranger is struck by the peculiar appearance of the 
liouses and it is sometimes quite a while before he discovers the 
reason, for as a rule, they are very similar to the buildings at home 
but after little he looks for the chimneys and finds none. Kitchens 
are always built separately and at a safe distance from the dwelling. 
Here the cook reigns, and she is a despot of the most pronounced 
type. She does not stay at the house but comes at irregular inter- 
vals and prepares the meals and departs with the fragments with 
which she supports her own family and all her near and distant 
relatives. Servants seldom reside on the premises but come at 
stated times, each doing the particular work assigned and no more. 



22 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

As soon as their task is performed thej^ disappear. Ever)^ house 
keeper must have a cook, a table girl, a laundress and one for gen- 
eral house work. Of course, if she lives in any sort of styl'fe she 
will also require a housekeeper: a ladies maid, a butler, coachman, 
a boy to carry her moneS'- and parcels when she goes shopping. 
These various functionaries appear at certain hours, performing their 
offices with the slightest possible outlay of energy. Their duties 
ended they vanish. That's the very word, no other term will 
describe the suddenness with which they fade away, however, they 
return next day with less speed and more ceremony, sometimes 
requiring a full half hour to traverse the space between the gate 
to the door, but they file up promptly Saturday and take their 
wages with just as much satisfaction as though they had earned it. 
The servant does all the marketing and thereby increases her sal- 
ary perceptably — for instance you tell cook to get "fip-pence worth 
o' plantains," she will return with a pennyworth and explain the 
small measure by a long story about low market. "Plantain 
might}^ scase Missus. Most all gone fur true. Bockra man just 
get all," and so with everything else, Bockra is the Carib word for 
white. From time immemorial the native cook has prepared the 
meals on a primitive range made by placing a couple of stones on 
the floor then laying another across for a top, and when some of 
the more enterprising merchants sought to introduce modern stoves 
there was a regular "howl." However, they were gradually adop- 
ted. A friend of ours had just put one in and had, as she sup- 
posed, explained its workings so that the cook would have no trou- 
ble. You can imagine her astonishment when, after waiting an 
hour and a half for dinner, she ventured to investigate the cause of 
delay to find the demon of the kitchen standing over the stove 
fairly boiling with rage, and pouring forth a perfect torrent of Cre- 
ole English mixed with a large proportion Carib Spanish, the only- 
language in which she could express the heavy weight "swear 
words" with which she was freighted; instead of starting the fire 
in the stove she had kindled a huge conflagration under it, then 
placed the victuals on top, in the oven, in the fire place, on the 
hearth and "there she stood yelling like a wounded tiger" saidmy 
friend, and "when she saw me laughing, turned with a bread knife 
in such fury that I was glad to escape to the house." After a> 
few weeks the poor creature became reconciled but insists to this 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. ,23 

day that the old style is much the best and to prove her wisdom 
makes a practice of burning up a dinner about once a week. 

I have spoken of the stores where are kept "everything except 
the article you want. ' ' Perhaps I ought to modify that remark, for on 
several occasions I found exactly what I was looking for and was sur- 
prised to note the great amount and variety of goods handled by 
these merchants, whose trade extends hundreds of miles along the 
coast and far back into the interior towns of Guatemala and Hon- 
duras. Among the establishments as vast and varied as a mus- 
eum, I might mention Beattie & Co., of the "Colosseum," James 
Brodie & Co., A. E. Morlan, the largest dealer in jewelry, musi- 
cal instruments and merchandise in Central America. Here you 
will find all the latest novelties imported direct from the manufac- 
turers in England and Europe as 'well as the United States. The 
owner of this establishment is also United States Consul* for this 
port which, of course, makes his store the center of attraction to 
tourists from the states, who are speedily attracted to the spot by 
the stars and stipes which floats above the office. Among other 
representatives houses might be mentioned B. Cramer &Co., Krug 
& Oswald, Gray & Co. 

The stranger will find a mine of amusement in the market, 
which he may work at intervals to good advantage. Here he will 
meet a busy throng, noisy but good-natured, every one trying to 
get the best of every one else in the way of trade. Caribs from the 
adjacent coast with their little stores of fruit, Casava Bread, yams, 
plantains, etc.. Coolies from India squatting on the ground with 
their stock in trade arranged on mats before them. These people 
have a peculiar, far away, melancholy expression that is touching 
to note, but I'm told they are about the shrewdest traders in the 
market. Indians, half-breeds, Chinese and Mexicans mingle in 
this strange crowds and urge their wares with such vehemence of 
gesture and wealth of language that it takes a man of strong mental 
qualities to be able to run this gauntlet of attractions without 
■carrying away some memento of the place. 



*Since the above was written, Mr. Morlan's establishment has changed 
hands, Mr. N. J. Keating succeeding to the business. However, the office of 
the U. S. Consulate will be found in its old quarters immediately East of 
the store. 



24 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



The inhabitants depend altogether on rain water for all domes- 
tic purposes, each house being provided with a huge tank for pre- 
serving the same and on a public square near the center of the city 
a collection of huge wooden reservoirs will be seen. These huge 
barrells, 20 or 25 feet high, 50 or 60 feet in circumference, always 
attract the attention of the visitor. They are the property of the 
colony and are used as a reserve supply on which the citizens may 
draw in times of drought. Naturally this water is very warm but 
is rendered cool by a simple process. Each famil}^ is provided 
with a large stone jar of porous texture with a slim neck, locally 
known as a "water monkey." These are filled and placed where 
a current of air will strike them and it is remarkable how soon the 
contents become cool and palatable. 




BARRACKS. 



One of the pleasant features of Belize is "The Colonial Club,"" 
which was established in 1880. This association includes in its 
membership all the literary and artistictalentof the place, and to its 
influence, direct and otherwise, we may trace much of the improve- 
ment that has marked the past ten j^ears of the cities history. 
The Club took possession of its handsome and pleasant quarters on 
Regent street, January 15, 1886, and is open every day, Sundays 
excepted. The Reading Rooms, I^ibrary and Billiard Parlors are 
on the third floor over looking the bay, from whence comes a 
delightful breeze. Strangers are welcome, and they will find here 
all the leading publications of the United States and England, 
besides a library that will surprise you by the large number and 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 25 

excellent character of books contained, which includes many of the 
standard historical and scientific works, as well as late editions of 
the encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc. To these are added a respect- 
able collection of the lighter literature of the day, largely English, 
of course, but containing a fair sprinkling of American authors. 

On the second floor is a large hall where the literary branch of 
the association hold their meetings and at times indulge in amatuer 
theatricals, These performances are sure to attract a large audi- 
ence, which, if it is disappointed by the exibition, never acknow- 
ledge it, because its "quite English you know." 

Mention has already been made of the healthfulness of this 
port; there are other than natural advantages that account for the 
immunity from fevers enjoyed by the residents of Belize, these are 
found in the strict sanitary regulations enforced by the officers 
entrusted with that most responsible department of the colonial 
government. 

Through the efforts of this body almost perfect drainage has 
been attained by a system of canals, that carry off all surface 
water, and which, aside from their value in a sanitary point of 
view, are made an ornament to the city, the sides and bottom being 
smoothly cemented, and handsomely curbed throughout their 
length with the same indestructible material; they are lined with 
flowering shrubs, and over hung by masses of foilage, all being 
reflected in the glassy surface with the accuracy of a mirror and 
the streets are carried over by numerous bridges producing an 
affect that is charming as well as novel. 

It is gratifying to know that the death rate has been greatly 
lowered by these precautions, since the completion of this work, 
yellow fever has almost dissapeared while ague and malarial com- 
plaints have been reduced to the minimum, in fact Belize, at the 
present time will compare favorably in the matter of health statis- 
tics, with towns of similar size in the States, which enjoy very 
much greater climatic advantages. 

Eike all towns, Belize has its children of genius, "natural 
born" poets, painters, inventors, mind readers, etc., etc., these 
local celebrities are pointed out to the visitor and their various 
accomplishments, paraded with a degree of pride that is comendable. 
While loafing around one of the newspaper offices one day the edi- 
tor placed a bundle of papers in my hands labeled "offerings of the 



26 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

Poets." It had been accumulating for months, they did not strike 
him as being quite the thing for a newspaper, but he has pacified 
the writers by promising to publish the collection in a neat vol- 
ume, under the title of "colonial songs, by colonial songsters," as 
soon as time will permit. As he hopes to be busy for several years 
to come he kindly allowed me to copy a few of the most touching, 
which are here given. Not, however, as a fair example of Belizian 
literature, but rather as a tropical curiosity. 

ode; to sir JOHN CROW. 

Sir John Crow sat on a potato tree 
Picking his teeth so silently, silently, 
His good wife sat right by his side 
Gazing o'er the sea so wild and wide. 
Said he to she, "what d'ye think," 
Said she to he, "let's take a drink." 
Then Sir John flapped his sable wing, 
"You bet, that's just the proper thing." 

G. G. S n. 



To LUCINDA JANE. 

O beautiful girl, with the dark black curl 
I'm waiting for thee by the deep, damp sea, 
Waiting for thee, waiting for thee, 
All alone by the moist wet sea. 

Then quickly come, and bring your gum 
And we will chin, while the minutes spin. 
For my arm is long and my heart is strong, 
Then hurry along, love, hurry along. 

J. D. h- 
i^Last and best.) 

EVENING IN BEWZE. 

"The sand fly floats in the evening air, 
The mosquito, too, is everywhere. 
Other bugs and things that sting 
Are crawling over everything. 

Everything — Everything. 
Soap and candles 
Sugar and snuff, 
Land of lizards and plumdufl. " 

F. C. Mc 1 



CHAPTER II. 

AT THE AMERICAN HOTEE — A CARIB VIELAGE — HISTORICAL SKETCH 

OF THE STRANGE PEOPEE — A EUNERAE — SAIE ON THE 

RIO DUECE — ARRIVE AT SANTA THOMAS. 

Having concluded our work in Belize, we took our departure 
for tlie South on the evening of May 4. On the morning of the 
fifth we found ourselves in the Harbor of Puerto Cortez, with the 
lofty mountain of Omoa on our right and the village on the left, 
which looked very pretty from a distance, half hidden among the 
shadows of the tall trees. But a closer view revealed but few pas- 
sably decent houses with a large number of old frames, that were 
all but ready to fall, a few thatched huts, a sandy waste called a 
street, through which the celebrated railroad is built, a custom 
house which I hope has fallen down or been blown away or otherwise 
destroyed, but no doubt it is tottering in its old track to this day — 
changes rarely occur in this country, only one or two have been 
noted since its discovery in 150Z. 

Our vessel lay here several hours taking on bananas, five 
thousand bunches were received, about one-fourth that number 
were rejected and cast into the sea, much to the disgust of the pro- 
ducers. Next morning found us at lyivingston, which, as has 
already been stated is Guatemala's chief port of entry on the 
Atlantic coast. Here we found accommodation at the "American 
Hotel" kept by Mr. J. C. Norrich. The "American" is not as 
large as the Astor House, but it is more expensive in proportion to 
its size, "Tariff" $2.00 per diem. If the Astor House should take 
the American as a standard and charge in the same ratio for ser- 
vice rendered, I judge its rates would be about $60,000 a week, 
however, the American furnishes many things that would be a 
novelty at the Astor. The frijoles are just as good as anybody's and 
weigh just as much to the pound. Here we first met the tortillas 
with which we afterward became so familiar. Now we might have 
lived at the Astor for years and never made the acquaintance of 
either of these nutritious dishes. The "American" has fewer 
rooms than the Astor but accommodates more guests. These 



28 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



guests do not all leave their autographs iu the register. In order 
to have more space for our work we hired a house across the street, 
where we established our headquarters from whence the writer 
made daih' excursion into the surrounding forrests, while his 
more methodical and business-like companion arranged a glittering 
exhibition that attracted crowds of natives from all the country 
round. 

Livingston contains a large Carib population which proved an 
interesting study. In the following paper, which was originally 
published in the Indianapolis Journal, the writer endeavored to 
give a brief outline of their history as told by "Jim" with some 
observation on their present habits and condition. 

"During my recent visit to Guatemala I became greatlj^ inter- 
ested in that strange race, now nearly extinct, known as the Carib 
Indians. The village of Livingston, situated at the entrance of 
the Gulf Dulce, is one of the largest settlements of these people, 
containing, as near as I could learn, about two thousand Caribs,, 




AMERICAN HOTEL, I.IVINGSTON. 



with a few whites and a handful of soldiers, ragged, barefooted 
and totally undisciplined, but whose presence is deemed necessary 
to maintain the dignity of the little republic and properly impress 
the stranger with the military resources of the country. Being 
delayed some time at this place, the writer devoted his leisure 
hours to the study of Carib history from their own standpoint, but, . 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 29- 

must I admit it, with small success, for, garrulous as they are on 
almost any other subject, they could hardly be induced to speak of 
themselves: however, by putting together the fragments gleaned 
from different sources, I think the reader may get a very fair idea 
of the present condition of this remnant of a once powerful race, 
with a glimpse of its past record that may prove interesting tO' 
those whose tastes lead them in the direction of historical research 
or the more delightful study of folk lore. This singular reticence 
in regard to their customs and beliefs may be accounted for, in 
part, from the dread they have of being interfered with by the gov- 
ernment, whose representatives regard with suspicion the perform- 
ance of certain rights and ceremonies held sacred by the successors 
of the fiery Caonabo, who reigned in the southern archipelago at 
the time of its discovery by Columbus. 

In the writer's opinion, these periodical complaints are simply 
the result of jealousy on the part of the petty officials, whose envy 
is aroused by the superior thrift of the Caribs, whose industrious 
and economical habits contrast sharply with the lazy, shiftless- 
lives of the half-breeds, who are in many instances appointed to 
administer the law in these remote corners of the state, and whose 
fitness for the position is never questioned, providing their politi- 
cal creed is found favorable to the party in power. It is a matter 
of astonishment that a people of such primitive habits should have 
survived the terrible persecution of the Spaniards, whose heartless, 
cruelty seemed satisfied with nothing short of the total extinction 
of every national trait, as witness the Aztecs of Mexico, and the 
still more highly cultured "Children of the Sun," who had con- 
verted the desert wastes of Peru into blooming gardens, and whose 
knowledge of agriculture and mechanics should have been pre- 
served at all hazards, as an acquisition of far greater importance, 
than all the mineral wealth of the mountains. Had thirst for 
knowledge equaled her love of gold, Spain might to-day have held 
the first place among the nations of the earth, but, like all nations 
or individuals whose highest aim is the accumulation of wealth 
for purely selfish ends, the successors of Ferdinand and Isabella- 
sank steadily, until, at the present time, they occupy the lowest 
position among the powers laying claim to any degree of civiliza- 
tion. 

But my present purpose is not to discuss questions or morality 
or philosophy, but rather to sketch hastily some of the character- 



30 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



istics of this interesting tiibe, whose ancestors ruled the Western 
sea, and whose huge, painted dories appearing on the horizon filled 
the inhabitants of the neighboring islands with consternation. 
The Caribs of to-da^' are confined to a few small settlements along 
the coast of Honduras, and at this one point in Guatemala, they 
have not only retained their native tongue, but many of their 
ancient customs, and continue to be the best sailors on the coast. 
They were first met with by Columbus on his second voyage, and 
formed a striking contrast to the friendly, easy-going savages with 
whom he became familiar during his first visit. Among all the 
daring enterprises undertaken b^^ the Admiral, or those under his 
command, the ones directed against these ferocious chiefs were 
attended with the most danger, and the story of the wild adven- 
tures of the valiant Ojeda reads more like Grecian fable than act- 
ual historical facts. How- 
ever, their desperate cour- 
age, coupled with a know- 
ledge of war far superior to 
that of the tribes around 
them, was no match for 
their civilized assailants, 
and their story from that 
time is one of gradual de- 
cay. Driven from point to 
point by an ever advancing 
foe, the territory of the 
Carib Chiefs rapidly dwin- 
dled away until their iden- 
tity as a nation was lost; 
in 1796 the English gov- 
ernment transported the 
entire Carib population 
from Dominica and St. 
Vincent to Ruatan, a small 
but fertile island near the coast of Honduras, whither most of 
them have since emigrated, owing to the constant encroachment 
of English settlers. 

These people have a legend, somewhat shady, but pretty 
withal, which I drew from an old Carib sailor locally known as 




?--=. j:^i^AN&ft;oVtThk.t, >««*. ^ 



MANGROVE TREE. 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 31 

"Jim," in whose dory I spent many pleasant hours, skirting the 
palm-fringed shores of the Rio Dulce, as the natives persist in call- 
ing the narrow entrance to Lake Golfete. This story necessarily 
abridged for present purposes, traces their historj^ back through 
centuries of time to the cradle of the nation in a beautiful valley in 
the midst of the Blue mountains of North America, and correspond- 
ing with the territory now known as Virginia or North Carolina. 
In this happy vale, surrounded by every luxury an Indian could 
desire, they lived and loved, fought and died, and were buried or 
burned, as the case might be; the rich bottom lands furnished 
corn in abundance, almost without effort, the mountains were alive 
with game, the rivers swarmed with fish, the men were brave, the 
women beautiful, and there they might have been living in peace 
and happiness to this da}', possibly, had not a most unfortunate 
vision come to their chief, Un-gow-a, in which a lovely female 
formed the central feature, as is frequently the case in visions of 
to-day among men much further advanced socially and politi- 
cally. 

This figure, as described by the infatuated Un-gow-a, 
posssessed a fair skin, a face radiant with light, while her long 
golden tresses floated about her shapely shoulders like a cloud. 
She appeared every evening in the southern sky, smiling and beck- 
oning to our unhappy chief. True, others saw nothing but a 
bright star, with a long trail of light streaming after it, but 
no Carib ever questioned a chief, especially on matters connected 
with visions in which handsome women appeared. It wasn't con- 
sidered safe. So the lovely phantom appearing every evening, 
continued to smile and beckon, until Un-gow-a quite lost his head, 
if not his heart, and, like men of a much later period,- soon found a 
hundred or more good and sufiicient reasons for doing the thing he 
most of all desired to do. He, therefore, assembled the wise men 
in common council, during which he delivered an address of such 
persuasive eloquence and convincing power that each member of 
that conservative body expressed himself more than satisfied with 
the plan suggested, which was nothing less than the abandoning 
of their mountain home to follow the bright star of the southern 
sky, for it was as such that the beautiful creature appeared to 
ordinary eyes. Un-gow-a told them by so doing they would be 
led to a land of flowers, where snow would never be seen, where 



32 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



would be foiiud fruits of every kind flourishing throughout the year, 
where cold and hunger, work and worry would be forgotten, in 
fact he drew a picture so fascinating in detail, so rich in coloring 
and poetic in sentiment that the whole tribe was wild with delight, 
with the exception of two old sceptics, who were promptly burned. 
This pleasant duty ended, the nation demanded to be led forthwith 
to the land of rest and readj^-made hominy. 

Thus began the long series of moves to the southward, lured on 
from 3^ear to year b)^ the bright vision that still smiled encourag- 
ingly, shaking her shining tresses over the soft summer sky at that 
witching hour, between daylight and dark, when even ordinary 
objects are invested with a strange charm. On they went, fighting 





OLDEST CHURCH IN AMERICA, ISLAND OF COZUMEL- 

their way through hostile territories, climbing mountains, fording 
rivers, cutting paths through matted jungles, conquering all foes, 
overcoming all obstacles, until at last they found themselves con- 
fronted by a wild waste of water. Great minds are only stimu- 
lated by opposition. These doughty warriors gazed awhile on the 
heaving deep and decided to cross it, and to that end began at once 
the construction of a boat suitable for the purpose. This was the 
first of the famous dories which have excited the admiration of all 
sailors down to the present day. With their usual good fortune 
they passed safely lo the nearest island of that long chain now 
known as the Bahamas. Thereafter their progress was an uninter- 
rupted series of conquests, passing from one verdant isle to another 



A HOOSIER IN HONDURA.S. 33 

until they reached the great archipelago of the southern Antilles, 
where every promise of the beautiful guide seemed fulfilled and 
the vision faded from the sky, not, however, until she had made 
an earthward swoop, carrying off the faithful Un-gow-a to shine 
with her forever in some remote heaven for beyond the ken of mor- 
tals. Here in these lovely islands, shaded by stately groves, 
watered by crystal springs, the weary warriors built their villages , 
Surely this was the Indian paradise, the veritable "happy hunting 
ground. ' ' Fruits to every taste, flowers of every hue, serene skies, 
sunny seas, misty mountains, limpid streams, vast forests, where 
bright- winged birds flashed from tree, or poised on the perfumed 
air, their trembling wings sparkling like gems in the sunlight. 
Such, in short, is the story of the Caribs, as told by "Jim," which, 
no doubt, is quite as false and not more foolish than the fables of 
the Norsemen, which have fed the insatiable appetites of a dozen 
generations of poets, without affecting these inexhaustable minds 
of fiction. 

Improbable as this story of Carib migration may seem, it has 
engaged the serious attention of a number of learned writers, 
among whom might be mentioned the name of our own Irving, 
who, referring to some similar fable says: "To trace the footsteps 
of this roving tribe throughout its wide migrations from the Appa- 
lachian Mountains along the clusters of islands which stud the 
Gulf of Mexico and Carribean Sea, to the shores of Paria and so 
across the vast regions of Guayana and Amazonia to the remote 
coast of Brazil, would be one of the most curious researches in 
aboriginal history and throw much light on the mysterious ques- 
tion of the population of the New World;" and it must remain a 
matter of regret that this most delightful of American historical 
writers was never moved to undertake the work. 

While the Caribs of to-day are regarded with suspicion by a 
certain class of people, those who know them best will tell you that 
they are not only industrious, but in most cases honest and trust- 
worthy; that some of the men have a weakness for rum cannot be 
denied, but in a country where this beverage forms a part, and 
often the principal part of every merchant's stock, it is not a' mat- 
ter of surprise that some have followed the example of their white 
neighbors. The women are hard workers, earning good wages on 
the sugar and banana plantations, where their services are always 



34 



A HoOvSii'.K IX H()Niiri>;.\s. 



in demand, while many who reside in the villages engage in the 
laundry business; one of the sights of Livingston is this department 
of Carib enterprise. Near the landing, where a strong spring fur- 
nishes an abundant supply of clear, soft water, j^on can see almost 
any day a half dozen or more women bending over little wooden 
troughs made by splitting a small tree in halves and hewing out 
the insides, just as the northern farmers do when short of "sap" 
buckets during maple sugar season. They use no "washboards," 
but saturate the clothes wfth soap and water, after whfch they beat 
them over large, smooth stones, with disastrious results sometimes. 
They present a highly picturesque appearance with their single 
sleeveless garment, which is cut very low in the neck, and greatly 
abridged in length, and is held in place by shoulder straps. This 
feminine inven':ion, which cannot be properly described as a 
"dress" or a "skirt," or even as a "waist," forms their sole protec- 




Bm,lZU, FROM THF; bay. 



tection from the burning rays of the tropical sun, excepting the 
red or yellow turbans worn more as an ornament than from any 
necessity. 

The men are nearly all sailors, and are either employed on 
the coasting vessels or as lightermen, or as is frequently the case, 
engaged in the carrying trade independently, many of them owning 
dories of several tons burden, which they manage with remarkable 
skill. These boats are models of their kind. They are construc- 
ted of a solid piece of wood, holl jwed and shaped with the greatest 
care. They are all sizes, from the tiniest craft capable of carrying 
only one or two persons, up to thirty or fort}^ feet in length, with a 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 35 

carrying capacity of twelve to fifteen tons. We frequently met 
these little shells several miles from shore with a single occupant 
standing up and steering his course with the utmost ease. Some- 
times when the sea was rough both man and boat would disappear 
behind a huge roller, always, however, rising on the next wave, 
where it would hang an instant on the crest, then down like an 
arrow into the watery valley. To us it seemed quite impossible for 
such frail specks to survive in the wild tumult of wind and waves, 
but these intrepid sailors showed no concern whatever, but hailed 
us cheerily as they passed and were soon lost in the distance. 
Often in the dusk of evening these strange rovers of the deep would 
appear suddenly, like restless spirits wandering abroad over the 
dark waters, their swarthy features illumined an instant by the 
rudy glow of the ship's lantern, and then swallowed up in the 
gloom. 

As already stated these boats are constructed of one solid piece 
of wood and the building of one of the larger sizes is an undertak- 
ing of great importance, the first step, of course, is the selection of 
a suitable tree. This frequently involves a search through milfes 
of forest and occupies weeks of time. The largest vessel of this 
class, that came under my notice, and which I carefully measured, 
proved to be a little over eight feet across the beam and sixty feet 
in length. The reader can imagine the size of the tree from which 
this huge dory was cut. However, it was not considered a good 
model, being twelve or fourteen feet too short to meet the 
nice requirements of the native draughtsman. The dwellings of 
the Caribs also attract attention by their peculiar construction, 
being almost identical with those found on the islands at the time 
of their discovery. No nails are used, the frame being secured by 
lashings of the rope like vines with which the forests abound. In 
this way each plate and rafter is fastened. Then comes the roof. 
This is made of the huge fronds of the Cahune palms, ingeniously 
woven together, and when completed will effectually turn the 
heavy rains that fall daily during the wet season. The walls of 
these unique houses are made by weaving together a kind of wild 
cane, like rude basket work. In some cases these are plastered 
over with mud, but oftener left open, and lively scenes are some- 
times witnessed during the evening hours when the interior ip 
illuminated by the pine torches or the fire on the floor over which 



36 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



the good wife prepares the evening meal which she aud her lord 
will enjo5^ separately, as the wife never presumes to eat at the same 
table with her husband. They have a fable which pretends to 
account for this unsocial custom by stating that at a remote period 
the Caribs captured their women from a neighboring tribe and 
made them their wives without the usual formality, which so 
enraged the sensitive creatures that they vowed never to associate 
with their captors as companions, though compelled to follow them 
as servants. 






^I'^^^B^^ S3g^' 







D<'uS(.ir\ -/ 



THE LAUNDRY. 

These dwellings, viewed from a distance, so exactly resemble 
huge stacks of hay that the writer had often been deceived by the 
appearance, and even after a long residence in the country, would 
still find himself surprised to see a thin blue column of smoke slowly 
rising from their crests, betraying the secret of the interior. These 
abodes are built so closely together in village.s that frequently the 
low projecting eaves actually touch, leaving only two or three feet 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 37 

between walls. They are placed at all angles without the least 
regard for the cardinal points. While the walls are only six or 
seven feet high at the sides, the roof towers up twenty-five or thirty 
feet. Usually they have but two openings, one at the front, the 
other at the rear end. These are sometimes closed by a wicket 
gate, but oftener are left open day and night. As might be 
expected where such inflamable structures are built so closely, 
fires sometimes occur, but as a rule one or two houses only are 
destroj'-ed, for contrary to appearance, these thatched roofs bum 
very slowly and are easily extinguished. This is owing to the 
fact that they are very compactly woven, to a thickness of 12 to 16 
inches, and during the wet season become so saturated with water 
that they hardly get dry before the recurrance of the rainy months.. 
In case of such disaster, the inhabitants turn out enmasse, audi 
rebuild the destroyed house, without any thought of recompense^ 
so that aside from the temporary inconvenience, the loss is not 
felt. 

The Carib housewife is easily satisfied so far as house furnish- 
ings are concerned. A small table, two or three stools from the 
native workshop, usually complete her outfit. The stove con.^ists 
of a couple of stones, over which a third of flat shape is laid. Under 
this the fire is built on the earthen floor. The smoke finds its way 
out through crevices in roof and wall. Bedsteads are unknown, 
the hammock forming their only couch. But if the Carib wife or 
daughter care little for carpets, chairs, or dresses, they make up 
this deficiency in the feminine character, by their inordinate craving: 
for jewelry, no woman considering herself fully dressed without at 
least a necklace of gold or silver, while if her means will allow she 
will fairly weigh herself down with earrings, bracelets, and strings, 
of beads, to say nothing of finger rings, lockets, chains and 
charms. Enterprising traders knowing their weakness in this dir- 
ection , visit their villages from time to time and are always sure of 
a good trade, at least as long as their mone}^ holds out. At the 
time of my visit one of these Nomadic dealers appeared and opened 
a store in a deserted house and I spent some time watching them 
trade, often admiring the tact displayed, in order to secure the cov- 
eted article at a price which they considered a bargain. They 
imagine they can detect an alloy in metals by the sense of smell 
and we were often amused to see both men and women subjecting 



38 



A HOOSIER IN HONDURx\S. 



the different articles iu the case to this curious test. We were also 
surprised with what accuracy they were able to judge of the merits 
of pieces that appeared exactl)^ alike to the eye. Several times the 
jeweler tested this faculty by taking two rings, one solid, the other 
plated, and between which we could see no difference. These he 
wrapped fn tissue paper, leaving only a small surface of the metal 
visible, then holding them in his own hand, submit them for 
inspection, asking "which good?" The answer usually came 
promptly and was nearly always correct. 

The wearing apparel of the men rivals that of the women in 
simplicity, consisting of a pair of pants made of cotton drill, to 
which on state occasions may be added a shirt of the same mater- 
ial. The pants are held in place by a leathern belt with a holder 
for the inseparable "Machete," a long, heavy knife which is used 
for every conceivable purpose. In the cultivation of their crops, 
this universal tool takes the place of plow, harrow, hoe and rake, 
while in the household it represents the can opener, butcher knife, 
^ hatchet, hammer, ax, saw or 

plane. I doubt if any other 
people can turn one tool to as 

many uses and do it as grace- 
s' • 

fully. Carib language is a 

"^ terror to strangers to whom it 
..-:..- seems the wildest gibberish, 
though we were told that it 
has been reduced to a sys- 
tem, provided with a well de- 
lined grammar, and that some 
pious priests once published 
a prayer book in the native tongue, though we failed to dis- 
cover a copy. 

To the traveler who hears it for the first time it is simply an 
unintelligible jumble, and seems to be complete in less than a 
dozen words, or rather sounds, which are continually repeated 
with fiery vehemence. In this connection I may be excused for 
quoting this passage from a recently published letter, "Their lan- 
guage is as peculiar as their dress and manners, and is exceed- 
ingly hard to master. The laundress has just called and 
rendered her bill orally in the following flowery strain: 




THE DOCTOR DISCHARGED. 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 39 

"Ingowalibouswabt uzomel Erngubas evtre yeloken of spache- 
druz! Is it any wonder we look forward to every funeral with a 
sort of wild exultation? 

An amusing incident occured during our stay at I^ivingston, 
which proved very disagreeable to one of the parties concerned! 
A young German but recently arrived and quite ignorant of Carib 
customs secured passage in one of their boats bound for Belize. 
Everything went well until evening, when the captain made for a 
lonely headland, covered with a dense forest of palms. Here they 
made a landing and soon had a good fire with a large kettle 
swinging over it. At times they indulged in a strange dance 
around the fire accompanied by the wildest gestures and most 
doleful chant. Our German friend watched their performance from 
his place in the boat with ever-increasing apprehension, but when 
the crew returned presently and invited him to join them on shore 
he became thoroughly scared. In their ignorance of his language 
they tried to make him understand by signs that supper was ready. 
They would point to their mouths, all the while working their 
jaws rapidly, then shut their eyes, which meant simply, that after 
eating they would sleep and continue the journey in the morning, 
but their passenger, whose mind was filled with wild fancies' 
interpreted their friendly overtures quite differently. He imagined 
he was to be killed and cooked; and not being in sympathy "with 
the plan, finally covered the leader with his revolver, it was the 
Caribs turn to be frightened now, and with one accord they dissap- 
peared under the water, for they swim like porpoises, some com- 
ing up at the bow served to attract his attention by pretending to 
climb up by the cable, while two others silently slipped over the 
stern and quickly disarmed the trembling Dutchman, following 
this act by tying him securely and in this condition he was deliv- 
ered next day, half starved, to the authorities at Belize. Interpre- 
ters were called and the story soon unraveled; from the remark- 
able actions of the German, the natives supposed him to be a lun- 
atic, and so did the very best thing under the circumstances. 
Mutual explanations, followed by a square meal and a case of rum 
for the wearied crew, made everything alright and diplomatic 
relations between two great powers remained undisturbed. 

I cannot bring this article to a close without recording a most 
emphatic denial of the charge of Cannibalism, which has some- 



40 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

times beeu preferred against the Caribs, by persous entirely igno- 
rant of their habits and history. The fact is, the Carib population 
of Honduras, is far the most desirable of all the different tribes 
represented in the colony. As a rule, they are harmless, good 
natured, industrious and remarkable cleanly, a virtue, by the waj^ 
almost unknown among the Indians and half-breeds of the inter- 
ior. The writer will always remember his visit among these dusky 
descendants of the wild sea rovers, with pleasure. The name 
recalls many a dash among the roaring breakers, many a campfire 
on the lonely shore, followed by a substantial lunch with its 
dessert of juicy pineapples or still more delicious mangoes, then to 
our hammocks to smoke and gossip and watch the stars or listen to 
the wayes, until one by one the pipes went out, and we slept as 
only tired travelers could." 

One warm afternoon we were aroused from our siesta by a dis- 
cordant jingling of bells and supposing a fire had broken out we 
made a rush for the street, when the landlady informed us that it 
was only a funeral, and said it would pass the house. A few min- 
utes later, hearing a sort of wild music mingled with shouts and 
laughter, we hurried to the balcony where we arrived just in time 
to see four half drunk men, shoeless and hatless, coming along at 
a brisk pace bearing a coffin on their shoulders. It was simply a 
rough box wrapped in a piece of stripped calico and swayed from 
side to side as the bearers reeled along. Following was a woman, 
the widow I was told, carrying a rude cross covered with flowers. 
She seemed in excellent spirits and was laughing immoderately. 
Next to the hilarious chief mourner came the band, consisting of 
one accordian, two fiddles, a tin horn and a drum. All were run- 
ning to their full capacity, following the band came a mixed crowd 
of men, women and children. The men were attired in their usual 
costume, a pair of cotton drawers, and shirt worn outside. The 
women were simply dressed, with the regulation sleeveless garment, 
that shows their dusky charms to such good advantage. The 
children were arrayed in their innocence only. All, from the 
least to the greatest were smoking and all laughed and danced by 
turns. It was by all odds the most cheerful and inspiring funeral 
we had ever witnessed. I had just returned to my desk when my 
attention was once more called to the street by a chorus of 
yells and uproarious merriment. Stepping out, the cause was 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



41 



apparent. One of tlie bearers had stumbled and fallen, throwing 
the coffin to the ground, one side of the frail box was broken out, 
exposing an arm and a ghastly hand half closed; but it was a well 
behaved corpse, and instead of getting out and thrashing the 
awkard bearers, as it should have done, it simply lay quiet taking 
the whole thing as a joke. Presently the fallen man struggled to 
his feet. The coffin was again taken up and the procession moved 
merril}^ on. The landlord declared that this was a very tame 
affair and assured us that the burial services of the rich are very 
much livlier and more imposing — in such cases the "body" is 
dressed up in the best shirt his estate affords. It is then carefully 
tied in a chair in an upright position and thus carried to the grave 







BARRACKS LIVINGSTON. 



yard while the whole town turns out to do him honor by the dis- 
charge of crackers, rockets and a variety of native fire works, while 
the drinking is general and the joy unbounded. 

We hoped to witness a first-class affair, but were dissapointed 
by the unreasonable stubborness of the principle, he was the owner 
of three huts and a pair of mules, a regular Jay Gould, and he was 
sick enough to die — everybody said so — and everybody was look- 
ing forward to a grand time, yet this hard hearted unsympathizing 
creature refused to abandon his real estate and live stock, and 
even had the audacity to discharge his doctor, after which he rap- 
idly recovered. It was several days, however, before he took this 
bold step and it was during this time that his friends exhibited so 
much anxiety. They would steal up to the door to note progress 



42 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

and report to the eager crowd. The interest was intense. As 
usual in times of great excitement, the news was verj' conflicting; 
one bulletin was to the effect that he was almost gone; at such 
times a confused murmur would run through the assembl}' and an 
occasional shout would be heard, with here and there a random 
cracker. Then would come some discouraging news, he was 
getting better, slowly but steadil}^ growing stronger, and faces 
bright with happ}^ anticipations became clouded b}^ dissapointment. 
Finally a committee was appointed to wait upon the sick man. 
They argued the case long and well but he was obdurate. They 
had to give up. After while they returned, they came in great 
haste. The miserable inillionaire, with the cold indifference of the 
class he represents the w^orld over, not only stubbornh- refused to 
give his humble fellow citizens a brief half holiday, but actually 
drove them off the premises with a club. It was then that he dis- 
charged the doctor and all hope was abandoned. The following 
note on "o3^sters" is taken from our memorandum book, and 
recalls an incident of a somewhat novel character. 

"We went oyster hunting this morning had fairly good success 
— James knocked them off the trees, while the rest of us gathered 
them up — got about two bushels — they were fat and plump — but 
not large; thev roost on trees but not very high — thev do not 

fly- 

This was a novel experience — always thought 05'sters lived in 
the water — never heard of them being found on trees — learn some- 
thing ever}' daj^ — this is literally true — the shores are lined with 
mangrove trees, these trees are very peculiar, they flourish in salt 
water, they are about equall}^ divided between roots and branches, 
the former strike out from about 10 or 12 feet above the water 
reaching down at an angle of 45 degrees, much resembling 
the skeleton of an umbrella half closed, the branches shoot up in 
much the same manner, making a 'tree 40 feet high — the oys- 
sters attach themselves to these roots when the tide is in, when it 
■ ebbs thej^ are left high and dry, and all the hunter has to do is to 
gather them like any other fruit — at a little distance, a grove of 
mangroves has the appearance of a forest on stilts, while single trees 
look like leafy giants wading in the sea. ' ' 

Messers. Anderson and Owen represent the interests of the 
United States at this point. Both stand high in commercial circles 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 43 

and are known far and wide. These gentlemen did much to make 
our stay in lyivingston pleasant and profitable. Mr. Anderson was 
so charmed with the climate that he declared he would never live 
anywhere else, and as an evidence of his sincerity, he had erected 
one of the finest private residences on the coast. The situation was 
certainly delightful, on the crest of a high hill, overlooking the vil- 
lage and bay on the left, on the right the eye wandered over the 
mountain heights that rose bej^ond the famed Rio Dulce, a descrip- 
tion of which formed the subject of a letter to the "Pittsburg Post" 
which I take the liberty to borrow. 

"I have just returned from a trip up the Rio Dulce, which is 
claimed by some to be the most beautiful river in the world, (the 
Rio Dulce, so called, is not a river at all, but a long narrow^ body of 
water known as I^ake Golfete, which connects the larger lake 
known as Gulf Dulce, with the Gulf of Honduras, but it is just as 
pretty as though it was a river and, in fact is usually spoken of as 
such. ) One traveler speaking on the subject, said he had traversed 
Europe and America in search of the picturesque, visiting almost 
every place celebrated in song and story on both continents, and his 
sketch book contained many lovely bits from sunny France, Spain 
and Italy. He dwelt long in Switzerland and carried thence many 
beautiful studies, but for restful, dreamy, intoxicating beauty, he 
acknowledged the Rio Dulce queen of all. It may not be amiss to 
state that this charming bit of water is situated in the eastern part 
of Guatemala and forms the boundary line between the departments 
of Chiquimula and Vera Paz. Its general course is north-east and 
its outlet the Gulf of Honduras. A small steamer makes weekly 
trips between Lyivingston near the mouth, to Isabel a small Spanish 
settlement near the head of navigation. Having heard so much 
regarding the scenery along this stream, I determined to view it for 
myself. I, therefore, consulted a friend and we decided to take the 
excursion together. We, looked about and found a boat that would 
answer very well, also a stout Carib to man it. With a well-filled 
hamper, we stepped on board just as day was breaking. The 
morning was perfect, and under the influence of a scarcely percep- 
tible breeze we moved slowly up stream, beneath the shadows of the 
mountains which rise abruptly from the eastern shore, watching the 
gradual lighting of the opposite range, whose highest points rises 
far above the clouds and whose misty summits are bathed in the 



44 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



warm sunliglit fully an hour before the denser forests at their 
feet. 

Nothing could be more delightful than to float thus idl}- along, 
lying at our ease, watching the shifting shadows every moment 
giving way before the king of daj'. The water is so clear one 
could easily imagine the boat suspended in air. At a depth of six 
fathoms the river's floor was plainh^ seen, covered with pebbles and 
bright colored shells. Fish of many varieties were darting from 
place to place like flashes of light. Others lazily suspended in the 
crj^stal depths w^atched us we imagined, with a degree of curiosity 
quite equal to our own. 

The shore is covered with white sand and pebbles up to 
the tide limit, where the rich tropical vegetation begins, which for 
luxuriance and variety is probably unexcelled. Right above the 



/ r 




MODKRN range;. 

white line of the beach we have the pimento, rancoon and cahune 
palms, massed together with trees of a hundred varieties, the whole 
over run with a tangled mass of vines and creepers, many of them 
laden wath brilliant flowers, among which we noted the morning 
glory, the only familiar face among this wild confusion of green and 
crimson. 

At six o'clock our man ran the Dorj^ ashore on a wide stretch 
of white sand, where a cool spring added its limpid waters to the 
river. Here he started a fire and proceeded to make a cup of coffee 
and spread a light lunch. A campfire has a charm all its own, the 
flickering blaze, the column of blue smoke slowl}^ rising and 



A HoosiKR IN Honduras. 4S 

■spreading out among the tops of the trees; the odor of frying ham, 
the cheerful simmering of the coffee pot are never so enticing as 
when encountered in the forest, remote from the haunts of men. 
There was a Sabbath-like stillness, broken only by the song of 
birds and the gentle purling of the brook as it made its way over 
the shinning sands. Among the bird voices only one was familiar, 
that of the morning dove, filling the air with its sweet, but melan- 
choly strain. 

Our repast over, we re-enter the boat. The wonderful pano- 
rama increases in interest and beauty at every turn. The breeze 
has freshened and the dor}^ glides swiftly along at the base of the 
mountains, whose seared summits tower a mile above us, in places 
presenting almost perpendicular walls a thousand feet high. Over 
these frowning ramparts nature has thrown a veil of swaying vines 
and flowering shrubs, whose many colored blossoms relieve the 
vivid green of the overhanging foliage. We note beds of lillies of 
several different species, among them one that closely resembles the 
calla. On the higher slopes are the wild fruit trees, some bursting 
forth in a gorgeous array of white and pink, others laden with gol- 
den clusters ripening in the sun. 

Thus we float on in a trance of delight, passing point after 
point, each new opening revealing some hidden treasure. We take 
no thought of time or toil, free for the moment, as the birds of the 
forest whose liquid notes come across the waters faintly, like 
music in a dream. At times the river widens out to a lake-like 
proportion. Here and there are little islands so lovely in their sol- 
itude that one could almost wish to give up the world with its 
thousand cankering cares and stop among these enchanted bowers 
ior ever more. 

What an existence! To open one's eyes every morning on 
such a display of color, such effects of light and shade, such vistas 
framed by jutting headlands that stretch away interminably until the 
outlines are gradually lost in the violet haze that no painter may 
attempt or poet describe. Oh, thou disconsolate lover, forego 
thy piteous sighs! Here is a retreat suited to thy condition. 
Kind nature will murmur in thy ear sweet sympathy. Every voice 
of earth and air will minister to thy comfort and fill thy heart with 
a deep content. 



46 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



... At noon our guide turned the boat into a little bay which 
proved to be the mouth of a mountain stream that came tumbling 
over the rocks in noisy glee, sparkling in the sunlight as it danced 
over the white pebbles of the shore. In this pleasant nook we tar- 
ried an hour, sketching and lunching by turns. Near by a pair of 
pelicans set us a noble example by their unflagging industry. They 
made their headquarters on a projecting rock, from whence they 
took excursions up and down or across the river, seldom returning 
without a fish, which they caught by droping suddenly on the 
unsuspecting victim. 

At one place a boiling spring rises from the bottom of the 
stream with such force that the surface of the water is raised a 
couple of feet or more above the general level, and the sound of 
escaping steam is fearfully suggestive of possible eruption. lyarge 







^mz3^^^^ 




LIVStyY FUNERAI., LIVINGSTON. 

fragments of pumice stone abound, showing conclusively that at one 
time this peaceful region must have echoed to the dreadful sounds 
of bursting volcanoes and devastating earthquakes. 

During the afternoon we returned, very reluctanly and slowl}^, 
now on one shore, now across to the other, exploring bays, discov- 
ing waterfalls, some of considerable extent, whose merrj^ music runs 
on through the whole year unchecked by winter's frost or summer's 
drouth. 

About three o'clock we were overtaken by one of tliose 
showers that arise so suddenly in this latitude, but our worthy 
guide was not to be surprised. Warned by signs of which we were 
quite ignorant, he made for a little cove, sheltered on the 
windward side by a towering wall of rock, where he dropped 
anchor, and in less than five minutes stretched a water proof awn- 



' A HoosiER IN Honduras. 47 

ing that completely protected us from the rain. But it was quickly 
over, and the sun striking through the retreating clouds gave us 
one of the finest effects of the day. Every trembling leaf supported 
a diamond of its own, whose dazzling brilliancy put to shame the 
gems of royalt5^ 

We arrived at port just as the sinking sun cast his last golden 
rays on the eastern hills. The black storm clouds that a few hours 
previous looked so threatening now lay on the distant horizon at 
the base of Mt. Omoa, reflecting all the bright tints of the dying 
day, their softened outlines melting away in the ros}^ haze that pre- 
cedes the sudden falling of the tropical night. 

From Ivivingston we went to Santa Thomas, having chartered 
a five ton sloop the "Mar>^ Ellen," manned by three coal black 
sailors from Belize. We arrived one Sunday evening about eight 
p. M., just in time to witness the performance of some stroling 
acrobats from Mexico. The scene was a novel one. They had 
arranged their trapeze across the principal street near the 
wharf, in front of the cuartel or barracks, where a half dozen ragged 
soldiers dragged out a weary^ existence, and who seemed very 
thankful for the temporary excitement. The soldiers ran about 
assisting the showman in every way they could, even giving up 
their quarters for a dressing room, from whence the actors presently 
appeared, their straw colored tights embroidered with gold and sil- 
ver tinsel, faces powdered and painted in the most approved style, 
high pointed caps and a string of small bells attached to their belts, 
which jingled most musically. The scene was illuminated by a 
row of oil lamps and the audience consisted of perhaps two hun- 
dred men, women and children. They were seated on the ground 
on both sides of the narrow road, the ladies with shawls over their 
heads smoking and laughing incessantly. The ruddy glare of the 
torches, the strange costumes and the babel of Indian-Spanish all 
combined to form a striking picture. The actors acquitted them- 
selves in a creditable manner and must have been highly elated by 
the success of their performance. The crowd was good natured 
and not over critical, the applause frequent and prolonged, and 
when the perspiring comedians doffed their clown hats and made 
their pilgrimage through the audience they were rewarded by a 
shower of reals, each of which was acknowledged by a bow and a 
grimace that caused shouts of merriment. 



48 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



Santa Thomas does not boast of a hotel, but we found quarters 
in a private house, where we were treated with the greatest cour- 
tes}', as well as to all the delicacies of the season, which consisted 
is this instance of the usual frijoles and tortillas with the addition of 
a piece of fresh pork and a cup of milk, the latter being a treat that 
was highly appreciated. Fruit growing is the principal industry of 
Santa Thomas, mostly bananas; having been requested to furnish 
some information on this subject, I, therefore, began to look around 
for facts and figures and presently found quite a lot. How much we 
owe to the fierce and uncompromising compiler of statistics! His 
bold spirit knows not fear — he seeks the depth of the tropical for- 
est, he delves in darksome mines, climbs lofty mountains, dives 




•■JIM." 

into the sea and measures the floor thereof — awhile he tarries in the 
sunny south — anon seeketh the frozen north, no height to great, no 
depth to vast, no region to remote — he is the hardy pioneer of 
human knowledge, pushing his way into the wild wilderness of 
undiscovered facts that hedge us about on every side. He return- 
eth like a general at the head of an army — of figures — figures in 
lines, in colums, in squares, figures in companies, in regiments, in 
battalions, an invincible array of totals that stagger the intellect; 
but I feel very grateful to one of these fearless adventurers, who has. 
given the material for the following brief chapter on bananas. 



CHAPTER III. 
some;thing about bananas — arrivk at puerto CORTKZ — A 

TOUCH OF THK CHII.I.S — A MODEIv HOTEIv- 

Although extensively cultivated along the entire coast line of 
Central America and the West Indies, this fruit is said to attain the 
highest degree of perfection along the eastern shore of Guatemala 
and the north coast of Honduras. This maj^ be true, or it may be 
a fancy, fondly cherished by growers whose fortune it is to be 
located within this favored belt. 

These thoughts were suggested by watching a train of mules 
that just passed the door, each laden with from four to six huge 
bunches. The reluctant animals were urged on by a half dozen 
Mozo's, whose dark, swarthy skin, restless black eyes and unkempt 
locks gave them an appearance of wild ferocity, quite out of harm- 
ony with their mild lazy dispositions. This noisy cavalcade 
came from a large plantation at the foot of the mountain 
just back of the village, from the overseer of which I have gleaned 
the information contained in this article. 

The fruit, he informs me, is all contracted for by New York 
and New Orleans companies, between whom there is great rivalry, 
and frequently collisions occur of an ugly nature. On several 
occasions they have assumed so serious a character as to require 
the interference of the militia. 

The trade has developed rapidly during the past five years and 
it is claimed that the importations of this year will exceed 10,000,- 
000 bunches, divided between New York, New Orleans, Boston, 
Philadelphia and Baltimore, New York taking the lead with about 
3,500,000, or 140 cargoes of 25,000 bunches each. In 1830 the 
first full cargo of red bananas was entered at New York and con- 
sisted of 1,500 bunches, a quantity so enormous that the daring 
pioneer in this trade was looked upon as a "crank," harmless, 
perhaps, but certainly crazy. 

To give a better idea of the present proportions of this industry 



50 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

aud its rapidly increasing dimensions, I submit the following offi- 
cial figures giving the importations for 1887-8: 

1887— 1888— 

New York • 2,461,355 3,021,640 

New Orleans 2,153,143 2,541,075 

Boston 454,751 1,053,729 

Philadelphia 315,560 1,151,938 

Baltimore 529,663 280,692 

5,914,472 8,049,074 

This shows a gain in one 5'^ear of 2,134,602 bunches. These 
figures are certainly encouraging to those who contemplate open- 
ing plantations. I am told by growers here that a profit of $75 per 
acre can be realized with ordinary care and this, it is claimed, may 
be considerably increased by careful cultivation. One grower 
assured me that he had netted $150 per acre, but I am convinced 
that this was an exceptional experience. Probably a safe estimate 
would be $50 per acre for the first year and $60 for the next ten 
years. However, a net profit of $25 an acre would be better than 
a gold mine, without any of the risks attending such enterprises, for 
while the profits of fruit raising are enormous, they are at the 
same time very sure, for of all tropical productions, this is the one 
most likely to succeed with the inexperienced planter. 

The banana delights in a warm, moist soil, in the neighbor- 
hood of the sea, the salt breeze being essential to its highest devel- 
opment. The best season for starting a "walk" or plantation, is 
from the middle of May to the middle of June. The bush is first 
cut and burned, the ground carefully cleared of all stones, weeds, 
etc., and the soil loosened to a depth of ten inches or a foot. 
The suckers are now taken from the parent stem. Strong, vigor- 
ous shoots should be selected from two to three feet high. These 
are cut about eight inches above the neck and placed in a slanting 
direction in the holes prepared for them and covered with earth, 
leaving only about two inches exposed. The plants mature in 
from 10 to 12 months, each producing a bunch of fruit averaging 
about 60 pounds, though specimens weighing from 90 to 100 
pounds, are not rare. 

There are several varieties of bananas, among which may be 
mentioned the red, yellow, dwarf and giant; but those most in 
favor in this region are known locally as the "Doubloon," "China" 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 51 

and "Fig." The red variety is almost entirely confined to the 
islands of Cuba, Jamaica and Hayti, while the yellow is most pop- 
ular on the coast, and, I believe, commands the best market in the 
States. The dwarf is found in the interior among the mountains, 
often flourishing at an elevation of 5,000 feet. It is of unexcelled 
flavor, but to small for profitable cultivation, being only three 
inches in length. 

The banana is not a native of America, as many suppose, but 
was introduced by the Spaniards shortly after the discovery of the 
country. By the middle of the sixteenth century it had become 
one of the principal food products of the newly discovered islands. 
It is the most nutritious of all known fruits, and forms the princi- 
pal food of millions of inhabitants of tropical countries residing 
within thirty degrees of the equator. 

The plantain is a variety of banana little known outside of the 
region where it produced and a small section of the Southern States, 
where it is highly esteemed. To the casual observer the only dif- 
ference between the two products is in the size of the plant and 
fruit. The banana, so-called, attains a height of 18 or 20 feet, 
while the plaintain seldom exceeds 12 or 15 feet; but while the 
stalk of the the plantain is the smallest, the fruit is much the larg- 
est. The banana is usually eaten raw, while the plantain is nearly 
always cooked — either boiled, fried or roasted. I^ike the banana, 
the plantain does best near the sea. Its cultivation is the same, 
each stalk producing a single cluster of fruit. When its mission 
is ended its place is filled by a sucker growing from the root. 

The fruit of the plantain is preserved by drying, and in. some 
instances ground or powdered in a mortar. This product is known 
as "plantain meal," and is made into a number of palatable and 
nourishing dishes. It also produces a fine and wholesome quality 
of starch. It has also been utilized in the manufacture of wine, 
the quality of the beverage being pronounced excellent. A dis- 
tillery for this purpose was established a few years ago in Hon- 
duras, but proved a failure, financially. 

To give an idea of the nutritive quality of the plantain, it is 
asserted on good authority that a piece of ground 60 feet square 
will produce 4,000 pounds of fruit, which will support 50 persons 
two weeks, while the same space planted in wheat would not 
afford sustenance to more than one person for the same length of 



52 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

time. This explains in a large measure the lazy, shiftless habits 
of the natives; living in a climate with an average temperature of 
80 degrees, houses are only necessary as a protection from the fierce 
rays of the sun or the drenching tropical rains. For this purpose 
four poles set in the ground surmounted by a high, pointed roof, 
thatched with palm leaves, answers evers' requirement. Clothing 
is not worth mentioning as the children wear none and the parents 
little more. With a few days work the husband can provide his 
family with the necessities of life for the whole year, therefore the 
head of the house ma)^ be seen swinging idl}' in a hammock, enjoy- 
ing his cigarette, while his good wife prepares the meal of boiled 
plantains which she has just cut from the stalk that shades the 
hut. 

A plantation once established will continue to produce for 
about 15 years, requiring no special cultivation other than to reap 
the harvest and remove the dead stalks. At the end of this time 
it will be found profitable to break new ground. lyand suitable for 
this purpose can be secured at an expense of $1.00 to $5.00 per 
acre, according to the location. Although the fruit is maturing 
every month in the j^ear, the banana season proper begins in Feb- 
ruar}^ and continues until Jul}-; March, April, and May being the 
months when the business is at its best. 

I am informed that a mill for grinding bananas on a large scale 
has recently been started at Port Limon, Costa Rica, but am unable 
to say what success has attended the venture which represents a 
considerable capital, principally from the north. 

We left Santa Thomas one bright morning, arriving at Puerto 
Cortez just as the sun was sinking into the troubled waters of the 
gulf, which were now considerable agitated b}' a brisk breeze, that 
had suddenly sprung up, "just to see us into port in good style," so 
our dusk}^ captain declared. 

From 10 a. m. until 3 p. m. we enjoyed a dead calm, not the 
ghost of a zepher appeared during those five burning hours. The 
"Mary Kllen" lay like a log, rolling uneasih' with the swell that 
rose and fell, with an irregular and desponding motion, as though 
old ocean was slowly dying, and these fitful heavings might be her 
last convulsive gasps. The heat was intense, the air was like the 
breath from a furnace, the distant shore looked like a long, pale 
green ribbon trembling above the water. A far-away island 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 53 

seemed dancing between sea and sky. The heat was fervent — that 
was all. We had often seen this word, often heard it repeated, 
but never until this day did we have any idea of its terrible mean- 
ing. The sun never appeared so close. It seemed like a great, 
red-hot globe that was gradually, but surely swooping down upon 
ns. The sea, smooth as molten glass, flung back the burning air 
in long, wavering lines, and between the blazing sky and the sim- 
mering sea we hung, helpless, hopeless, blistering. All through 
these hours the captain sat at the helm, whistling a low plaintive 
melody or monody. It was the sailors prayer to his patron saint, 
San Antonia, at whose wall, blows the wind, fair or ill — so our 
captain firmly believed; so, while the rest of us sought the slim 
line of shade cast by the idly flapping sail and crouched there, 
sweltering and envying a school of porpoises, who were playing a 
noisy game a few hundred yards away, or wishing we were one of 
those huge green turtles that now and then floated by, so calm and 
comfortable, independent of wind and wave. Our good captain 
held his place, his eyes fixed on a distant point on the horizon, 
which had not varried a degree for ages, it seemed to us, and whis- 
tled — very low, but very persistently — occasionally varrying the 
monotony by the spoken words, which we understood to be, simply 
a translation of the whistled tune and run something like this : 

"San Antonia — San Antonia, hear a sailor's prayer, 

A prayer for wind, not wild and wailing. 

Just a gentle breeze, for sailing, 

San Antonia — San Antonia, ruler of the air." 

About three o'clock in the afternoon the sailor's patron saint 
seemed suddenly to become aware that someone was calling him, 
for about that hour the sail stretched itself once or twice, then 
become taut. The burnished water was broken by a thousand rip- 
ples, with here and there a tiny white cap in the distance, then 
more, and more, until after a little while the whole ocean seemed 
to be trying to run over itself, huge piles of dark green water would 
rise up like a wall only to come tumbling down with a crash on the 
heels of another roller. On we flew, grandly, gloriously, delight- 
fully. The "Mary Ellen" was herself again, and the sailors faith 
in San Antonia and the magic whistle was mightily increased. So 
we came into port as our captain observed in "good style," just as 
the sun was sinking into the tumbling waters of the gulf. The 



54 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



houses in the distant village were touched by the golden glow that 
lingers but a moment after the sun disappears. We could pick out 
the office of the American Consular Agent, the barracks, the sta- 
tion, the home and office of the "Commandantee," or commanding 
officer, a broad low structure standing upon stilts some six or eight 
feet above the ground; meanwhile we were waited upon by the 
alcalde accompanied by a quartette of ragged soldiers, who having 
examined our papers and cargo, we were accorded the libert}" of 
the port, but having heard of the clouds of mosquitoes and sand 
flies that rise out of the neighboring swamps about sunset, we 
determined to spend the night on deck and visit the town early in 




"MARY ELLEN." 

the morning. We, therefore, spread our blankets and stretched 
ourselves thereon, the air was now delightfully cool, the slight 
rocking of the vessel was soothing in the extreme — so, smoking and 
talking, we watched the lights twinkling over in the village and 
listened in a half dream to the music that floated out across the 
water from the "Hotel," where some unfortunate traveller was 
bravely seeking forgetfulness of the hour, by vigorously sawing on 
a fiddle — but at last the lights were extinguished, the unfortunate 
traveller either succeeded in drowning his sorrow or gave up the 
attempt and the only voice of the night was the low wash of the 
waves about the prow of the boat, as she lay gently tugging at her 
anchor. 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 55 

We landed early in the morning and soon found our way to 
the only hotel, and while our practical and progressive friend 
looked after the commercial interests of his house, which was rep- 
resented here by an agency, the writer, as the licensed idler of the 
party, roamed about the village seeking whom he might devour. 
In the course of his prowlings, he found himself in the office of the 
American Consular Agent at that time represented by Mr. Henry 
Seymour. Mr. Seymour was a bright, young fellow, a native of 
Grand Rapids, Michigan, and the building in which he was located 
was constructed in his native town and shipped to this place, a dis- 
tance of about 3,000 miles and "set up" by native workmen at 
a cost of something less than six hundred dollars. The house con- 
sisted of three good-sized rooms with a veranda across the front ; a 
double roof, allowing an air space of about one foot between, mak- 
ing the Consular office one of the coolest spots in the village, there- 
fore, it was quite natural that we should drop in there and help our 
friend put in the time that appeared to drag somewhat heavily — as 
Consulur business seemed very quiet. Henry was quite communi- 
cative and we profited thereby, and some of the knowledge gained 
in those interviews will be given here, and no extra charge made. 
This is certainly liberal, considering the distance we had traveled 
to secure the information. Among other things, we made special 
inquiries about the healthfulness of the place. "Well," he replied, 
' ' Puerto Cortez is without doubt the healthiest point on the coast 
of Central America. Although a constant resident here for six 
years I have never known what it is to be sick — not even for a 
single day. ' ' This seemed remarkable and we sat a long while 
thinking it over, also thinking of the numerous attacks of sore 
throat, coughs, colds, tussels with la grippe, bilious and malarial 
fevers with which we had contended during the same period in a 
climate where the temperature varies from 70 degrees above freez- 
ing in the summer to 50 degrees below in the winter, or in other 
words, where we enjoy a range of 120 degrees between the extremes 
of heat and cold and the thermometer frequently records a variation 
of 20, 30, 40 and sometimes as high as 50 degrees, in less than 
twenty-four hours. "Here" continued Mr. Seymour, "we have 
an average summer temperature of 85 degrees, which, tempered as 
it is by the delightful sea breeze, is far from oppressive; during the 
dry, or winter season, the average falls to about 75 degrees, and 



56 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

this slight change is accomplished so gradually that the difference 
is not perceived, consequently there is no occasion to make any 
change in clothing or housekeeping arrangements on account of 
varying seasons. Our winters correspond with the month of June 
in the northern states, while our summers are cooler than the 
months of July and August in New York or Boston. ' ' 

The prospect was charming. From where w^e sat we could 
look across the tranquil bay, beyond wdiich, rising to the very 
clouds, was the dim outline of the mountains of Omoa. In the 
foreground a group of cocoanut trees afforded a wdde patch of deep 
shade, where a lot of native children were playing. They were 
not burdened with clothes and we could not but admire the ease 
and freedom of their motions. The longer we gazed on this pleas- 
ant scene, the more infatuated we became. The fierce blasts of 
winter with their suggestive hints of coal bills, new overcoats 
and underwear, to say nothing of boots, scarfs, fur caps and 
capes for each of the children, were here unknown. lyater in 
the day we met quite a number of old residents, persons who had 
become acclimated, but who, for some reason did not appear very 
robust, but all told the same story — "never knew what it was to be 
laid up" and "never sick a day," were the sterotyped phrases, and 
never in all our travels on that coast, w^ere we able to find a 
man who had ever been ill. Threats and bribery alike failed to 
produce a single witness adverse to the salubrity of this wonderful 
climate. Men differed politically, religiously, socially; they took 
sides on questions of finance and government measures, and party 
spirit sometimes ran to bitter extremes, but on the subject of clim- 
ate and health there was but one voice — Honduras possessed the 
finest climate in the w^orld and the most conducive to long life and 
happiness. That evening we wrote a short note to our wife — the 
wife of our bosom — who had stood by us through many howling 
winters in that far north land and this was to inform her that w^e 
had found a haven of rest, but here is the letter itself: 

My dear Mary Jane — I have found a perfect paradise, where sick- 
ness, sorrow and de — December are unknown, only lovely May and 
sweet September. It is too glorious to think about. Two bright 
seasons compose the blissful year, a land of beauty and plenty, 
where golden fruits drop at one's feet, w^here children need no 
boots — only frilled collars and straw hats, were happy mothers 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 57 

have nothing to do but lie in hammocks and watch the darling lit- 
tle creatures at their play under the spreading fronds of the cocoa- 
nut trees. Sell off everything and come at once. Excuse haste 

I'm looking for a house. Will write again in a day or two. " 

It then occured to us that there would be no steamer leavipg 
for the north for several days, so there was no hurry. We would 
leave the letter open and perhaps might be able to add that the 
house had been secured. Three of four days later we called again 
at the office of the American Consular Agency and were greatly 
surprised to find that gay, young representative stretched at full 
length on a cot — looking — well, very much like a sick man. His 
iace was pale, his voice weak, and while his greeting was cordial 
it lacked the heartiness that marked our first meeting. "Look 
here old fellow" we said, "what's wrong? You seem to be under 

the weather, what has happened, lost a consignment, or a friend 

surely not ill?" The consul did not reply at once, but after a 
moments pause, during which he lay quite still with eyes closed 
he answered, but in a voice so trembling and broken that we could 
hardly believe it was the same that had charmed us on the occasion 
of our first call. "No — loss — of — business — or friend" he said in 

a far away tone that was touching to hear, "and — and not sick 

no— not sick." The last words seemed to cost great effort and 
weie accompanied by a ghastly, shivering smile that fairly rattled 
as it made its escape between his tightly set teeth. It was a grave- 
yard smile — a smile that was full of horrible suggestions it was 

like the fitful gleam of the sexton's lantern among the tombs at 
mid-night. "Not sick— no— not sick," he repeated the words 
feebly; and with a mournful cadence that touched our heart but 
its hard to find an outlet for ones" sympathy when the object of 
ones solicitude insists they are not ailing in the least. We sug-- 
gested timidly, "Up a trifle late, or perhaps the brandy was just a 

wee bit strong." "No— not — that — just a touch— a touch of— of 

chills — chills and — and fever — every — everybody has them its 

nothing— its nothing— at— at all — please throw that— blanket 

over — my — feet — there — thanks — its nothing. A dose of pills 10 

grains of quinine — a couple of hours sleep — and you feel like a 

new man." This was quite a revelation to us, but we were glad 
to know that Henry was not sick. It is true he shook till his cot 
rattled half way across the room, but he did this simply because it 



58 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



was the custom of the couutry. He was perfectly well. We 
looked about a little more and found "everybody" had them, and 
had them bad. It was a part of the program and a man who 
refused to shake with his fellows, would be regarded as mean and 
selfish and would be looked upon with suspicion if not with fear. 
While my friend had not been "sick a day" he had lost on an 
average fifty days every year, or about one year out of the six. One 
year of freezing and burning by turns, one solid year of torture — 
but "never sick." 

We added a postscript to our letter. "Do not make any 
change at present. Don't think it would pay to have a sale ju.st 

now, besides there are no houses 
vacant at this season. While 
the people know nothing of 
sickness, they have strange 
shivering spells during which 
their teeth rattle like the "first 
bones" in a minstrel show, only 
louder and wilder. Then th(j 
oranges are not ripe and the 
cocoanuts often fall on the heads 
of the children and kill them. 
There are only two months in 
the year, but you might not like 
this arrangement of the calander, so please wait. ' ' 

A few days later we began to feel that we were attracting atten- 
tion — that we were being talked about. The hotel loungers would 
gather in little groups consulting in whispers and frequently one 
or another of the crowd would point over his shoulder in our dir- 
ection, and from time to time some remark would be overheard, 
which plainly indicated that we were being discussed — and criti- 
cised severly, for in all the time we had been at the port, we had 
not had a chill and the natives felt that we were puffed up and 
proud and not inclined to be sociable. Now we did not wish to 
create a bad impression, and as soon as we fairly understood the 
sentiment of the community, we sent word around that we would 
'have "a shake" at 3 p. m. A change occured. Everyone now 
seemed pleased to meet us. There was no more suspicious looks 
and whispered consultations. We were welcomed like a brother. 




"NEVER FEIvT BETTER." 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 59 

We have often thought since then that it would be almost as pleas- 
ant to be sick. The first sensation was an irresistable desire to lie 
down and the next a want-to-go-home feeling that was quite crush- 
ing, then a chill stole silently down our back. In a few minutes a 
dozen were on the field, chasing each other up and down our 
spinal column and taking occasional excursions down to our toes. 
This lasted an hour, during which we could not get enough blank- 
ets, though they were piled up about two feet high all over us. 
Suddenly came a change. Our head began to burn, then a flash 
of heat dashed in among the racing chills and for ten minutes it 
was a struggle which would win, but by degrees the fever gained 
and at last occupied the whole ground. The heat seemed unbear- 
able. The blankets were scattered in every direction. Such rack- 
ing pains in back and limbs, such bursting headache, such thirst. 
Finally we slept, a troubled sleep, during which we dreamed of all 
the cooling drinks we had ever heard. Even visions of rhe old 
spring house at home, with its rows of milk pans half submerged 
in the clear, cold water, came to torment us, but at last it was over, 
and as Henry had told us, we felt like a "new man," but we also 
felt as though we had lost several years in making the change, how- 
ever, we were now acclimated and in sympathy with our townsmen 
and that is worth a great deal. 

We always make a point of stopping at the best hotel — the 
best in Honduras are not usually too good. The "Ameri- 
can" was not an exception to the rule — and this description is 
given free — we feel that we ought to be paid for it, but when we 
remember how many things we got that were not in the bill of 
fare, we think the least we can do is to give the "American" a 
free notice. It is not a very large house, and has not been painted 
since the Conquest of Mexico, and at the time of our visit was not 
crowded. By the way, it is an odd circumstance that almost every 
Hotel in Central America is dubbed the "American," beginning 
at lyivingston, we find an "American House" in every town boasting 
a tavern, even to the capitol city. The captain of the Breakwater 
had described the structure so minutely that we had little difficulty 
in finding it, besides it had a small sign nailed up in front. We 
walked in but the clerk was out. The office was a small room 
with board partitions, on which were traced many strange names 
in pencil and chalk, also a few lager beer cards and some legal 



60 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

notices in Spanish. The ceiling was formed by stretching muslin 
across the joists. It must have been done a long time ago, as it 
was deeply stained and torn. Long shreds hung down in fanciful 
patterns. From various holes the cunning spider constructed his 
funnel shaped trap and throve mightily. The plank floor was 
bare, at least it would have been after a scrubbing. In one corner 
rested a chair with a broken leg, in another was one with a broken 
back, in an adjoining apartment, which seemed to be a sort of 
reading room, we found the third chair, a rocker, which was 
quite robust, with the exception of a broken arm. No one seemed 
to be at home, if we except a parrot, who was perched on a small 
table and who kept muttering morosly. We selected the 
strongest of the invalid chairs, and feeling that we were taking 
a mean advantage of one .so helpless, seated ourselves as lightly as 
possible and awaited developments. After we had received calls 
from a hen and brood of chickens, a monkey and a lean hun- 
gry-looking dog, the landlady herself appeared, a creole of vast pro- 
portions. She was smoking a cigarette, but she spoke Knglish, 
which was a comfort, and we soon came to an understanding. 
We were to have coffee at 6 a. m.-, breakfast 10:30 a. m., dinner at 
4:30 p. M., tea at 7 p. m., and an upstairs room, all for the very 
reasonable sum of $2.00 per diem. At 10:30 we appeared on the scene, 
but no indications of the promised meal. An interview with the 
landlady was not particularly satisfactory. "Bekfust soon ready," 
she said, and no more information was to be had. We waited — 11 
o'clock, 11:30, still no "signs." Meanwhile three Americans and 
three Spaniards had gathered in. The natives took possession of the 
helpless chairs and puffed away at their cigarettes quite contentedly. 
The Americans tramped across the room in restless rage, indulg- 
ing their feelings from time to time by outbursts of language that 
could hardly be worked into a Sunday school oration, no matter 
how carefully the selection might be made. It was past 12 o'clock 
when a small darky appeared: "Bekfust sah," as he. spoke these 
words he disappeared through a dark passage. We all followed 
and found the dining hall about such a room as the office, with a 
long rickety table in the center, around which the guests seated 
themselves and each one reached forth and helped himself. Who 
ever placed the breakfast on the table had vanished and 
we were left in undisturbed possession, being interrupted only 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 61 

once by the entrance of a very small girl of ebony complexion, 
who brought each a glass of water. At the end of the meal 
she came again with a pot full of black coffee. 

The following extract from a letter, published in the Pittsburg 
Post, contains a pretty faithful description of life at the port at the 
time of our visit: 

"In the center of the table was a large dish containing the 
first course, soup — bean soup. Some one had the hardihood to 
ladle out a portion and gently slid the dish before his left hand 
neighbor, on the old principle of "cut to the right and deal to the 
left." In this way the tureen traveled the whole length of the 
table. Second course, roast beef, which the same hardy pioneer 
started on its round in the same way. With the beef we had 
boiled rice, plantains, casava and frijoles, Bread, but no butter. 
Frijoles are simply black beans cooked down to a thick pasty mass, 
seasoned with salt and pepper. Casava is a root, which, when 
thoroughl}^ cooked, and not to old, very much resembles our Irish 
potatoe, but when only half done is like so much wood. When the 
second course was disposed of the small colored girl appeared 
again, removed the plates and put in their place a cup and saucer. 
Then she brought a coffee-pot and a bowl of sugar. These articles 
made the round of the table, each one pouring out a cupful of the 
mixture, black and strong beyond expression. We then lit cigars 
and sipped the compound in true Spanish style. During the pro- 
gress of the meal the chickens came in to pick up the crumbs and 
look after the floor in a general way, which they did very thor- 
oughly in places. This description is not exaggerated, but rather 
underdrawn, every meal was a repetition. For a few days it 
was not so bad, but as time rolled on, it became intolerable and 
we formed the habit of buying canned fruits, pineapples, pickles, 
etc. to help out. 

When evening came we asked to be shown our room. The 
same diminitive colored girl lit a candle and started upstairs, we 
followed and were more than pleased, as we had not expected 
such a large apartment, in fact this room included the whole 
second floor. We told the girl we had no use for so many cots. 
There were 16 scattered around, each with its little canopy of mos- 
quito bar. Then she informed us that these cots were for the gen- 
eral use of the guests, and that each "gen'l'man" had an "upstairs'* 



62 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

room. It was the only room. We felt somewhat abashed. We 
had never had a whole hovise placed at our disposal, with so many 
privileges before. Silently and swiftly we crept into one of the lit- 
tle tents; for the sandfly was there, — and his business was urgent. 
While we lay there thinking of all the advantages we enjoyed, a 
light appeared and one of the boarders quickly divested himself of 
his outer covering and shot under the side of the net. He did not 
stop to blow out the candle and we could easily see him. He was 
looking for something. Presently his hand came up slowly, then 
down with a crash. He had caught it. After a little more skirm- 
ishing around he lay down, apparenth^ satisfied. 

Nearly everyone carried gold watches, and more or less cash, 
but no one seemed to have any fear of robbers and took no precau- 
tion whatever. I afterwards learned that the doors were left open 
all night. It is but just to say that we never knew of any loss 
from theft, this may be owing to lack of energy on part of the 
native — but if j'ou please, you may attribute it to his honesty. 

In order that strangers may receive a proper impression of the 
dignit}' and strength of the Republic as a militar}- power, it is con- 
sidered necessary to have a detachment of soldiers stationed in 
every village. And it is well, for the impression is generally deep 
and lasting. At this port, which is the principal one on the Atlan- 
tic coast, there are 12 of these native warriors quartered in an old 
tumble-down building, known as the "Quartel. " Eleven of them 
sleep while one leans lazily on his musket to keep them from all 
harm. This one is known as the "guardian angel." All are bare- 
foot, all ragged — and not too clean. All are genuine natives, Hon- 
durians, which means a mixture of Indian, negro and Spaniard. 
The}^ are dark-skinned, with black e3^es, and shocks of blach hair 
which hangs down over their foreheads, they are altogether with- 
out enterprise and have a hungry, hopeless look. Here they laj^ 
week after week, month after month, with no variation in their 
daily routine. The}' receive 2 reals a day (25 cents,) and out of 
this sum the}' must support themselves. The government furnishes 
nothing but uniforms, for which it charges a fair price — so fair, 
indeed, that the men have to wear a suit to tatters before they can 
get another. The only active duty they have to perform is at 
night, when the mosquitoes and sand flies come down on their 
defenseless quarters in blinding swarms. To make this dismal sea- 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 63 

son somewhat more bearable, they light fires about the place just 
before sunset and cover them with green wood and grass, produc- 
ing a dense smoke. In this way they spend the night in an active 
campaign against any invisible enemy. 

By the way, I wish to state that, while these insects exist here 
in great numbers, they are not so large or dangerous as some 
writers would have you believe. I have made a special study of 
this subject. That the mosquitoes of Central America have been 
grossly and maliciously misrepresented, there can be no doubt. 
One writer states that "they are fully as large as a Durham cow," 
with "wings that spread 50 feet," that "they carry a steel-pointed 
biir75 feet long," that they reach across "the street tap a man 
under the ear and draw all the blood out of him before he can turn 
around," and that the "victim falls to the ground a shriveled, 
corpse, so light that the winds blow him about like a dead leaf." 
This is all romance and should have no weight with the reader. 
I have examined hundreds of specimens, and have never seen one 
two feet long. They do not carry of children, and it is all a hoax 
about their boring through the thick wall of a house to reach their 
prey. The truth is, the very largest will not weigh five pounds, 
and their bills are not as long as some tailors, and not nearly so 
sharp. It gives me great pleasure to be able, from personal exper- 
ience, to correct these misstatements of unprincipled travelers, and 
I would say to all who contemplate a visit to this delightful 
region, do not be afraid. — You can easily defend yourselves 
from the largest andfierciest mosquito with an ordinary "machete," 
or short sword, which all the natives carry for this— and other pur- 
poses. 

The Country is beautiful with its cocoanut walks and orange 
groves and endless variety of flowering vines and shrubs. The 
harbor of Puerto Cortez is one of the finest on the coast, guarded by 
lofty mountains on the south and by a long strip of level land on the 
north. It is about five miles long and three wide, and so deep that 
the largest vessels can approach within a stones throw of the shore 
almost. Viewed from the sea the town presents a very pretty pic- 
ture, its white houses gleaming among the deep green tropical fol- 
iage'. It is also the starting point of the only railroad in the State, 
which makes it commercially the most important town on the 
coast. Banana culture is the main industry, 5000 bunches being 



64 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

shipped every week from this point alone. While we were at the 
port we witnessed the trial of a new engine or locomotive intended 
for the famous railroad above referred to, which connects this place 
with San Pedro, thirty-six miles inland. By the way, the maps 
show this road as completed to Amapala on the Pacific coast, but 
like most other Central American enterprises, this great continen- 
tal line piled up a debt of $27,000,000 in the first thirty-six miles 
of its way, and it was thought best to stop it before it got into the 
mountains where it might prove unmanageable. 

The locomotive refered to was not exactly new but had been 
made to look quite respectable by paint and polish. It was a sec- 
ond hand affair picked up at New Orleans by General Kraft, who 
practicall}^ controlled the road at this time. This was a great 
event. For twenty years, more 'or less, the natives had watched 
the stackless old engine drag its weary way through the one long 
street, and when the huge machine was placed on the track in all 
its glory of brass, with a huge stack and double whistle, the peo- 
were fairly wild, although half afraid of the monster, which now 
•threw out smoke and sparks like a volcanoe and rushed along at 
the unheard of speed of 20 miles an hour. The enthusiasm was 
unbounded. The superintendent, sub-officers, with the alcalde 
and all the local great men, were seated in the tender waving their 
hats and bowing to the assembled multitude who answered with 
deafening cheers. After making three trips from the Custom 
House to the L/agoon, a distance of about three miles, the test was 
decided to be satisfactory and the machine accepted. Everybody 
drank to the road and its management, to the president, whose 
name was painted in bold characters on the pilot, to his cabinet, to 
the U. S. and her representatives, to everybody, and to everything. 

The joy was universal, and no wonder — for 5^ears the time 
between the port and San Pedro had averaged ten hours and very 
often, owing to a breakdown, two whole days would be spent on 
the road — but alas! for human hopes — the test had been made on 
the hard road bed along the shore which owing to its proximity to 
the superintendent's office had been kept in pretty good condi- 
tion, and it never occured to the eager purchasers to extend 
the trial trip to San Pedro. The first trip out, the heavy 
engine crushed the road into the earth and toppled over, sustaining 
considerable damage. Finally it was dragged back to the ' 'lagoon' ' 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 65 

where are situated the repair shops, and where, most likely, it is 
lying to this da}^ At all events the poor old cripple that had done 
service for so many years was recalled, and on our last visit was 
still carrying freight and passengers at irregular intervals, at the 
very safe speed of three miles an hour. ' ' 

Quite a number of Americans have recently established cocoa- 
nut plantations on this coast, and the neighboring islands, ahll when 
we consider the small capitol required, the certainty of success, and 
the comfortable profits, it is surprising that more have not followed 
their example. With proper care this thrifty palm begins to bear 
the fourth or fifth 5^ear from planting, and continues without inter- 
missions for fifty years at least, just how much longer no one seems 
to know, though we were shown trees that were said to be sevent)'- 
five years old, that were still producing a fair qualit}' of nuts. A 
"walk" once established, the proprieter maj'^ rest assured that his 
future is provided for, as far as income is concerned, as the demand 
bids fair to exceed the supply for a long time to come. Each tree 
in full bearing is worth from two to three dollars per annum, or 
from $120 to $180 per acre. The only labor required is to go 
over the ground at stated seasons and gather the fallen nuts into 
piles at convenient distances from the shore, from whence they will 
be taken by vessels ingaged in the fruit trade, the cash being paid 
as soon as the load is complete. 

Cocoanuts have no season, but are constantly maturing through- 
out the year, on each tree will be found nuts in every stage of 
growth, from the blossom to those fully ripe. This tree loves the 
sea and flourishes best within the sound of the surf. The salt 
breath of the ocean is necessary to insure perfection. A 
Jamaica planter informed the writer that the cost of setting a grove 
on that island, including all expenses, until it begins to bear, will 
not exceed $40 per acre^what could be more delightful than a 
home in this land of perpetual summer, and ever blooming flowers, 
surrounded by the tall palms, which la}' their wealth at 3^our feet 
while you swing in your hammock listening to the murmur of the 
sea, or the melancholy paint of the musical mosquito. 



CHAPTER IV. 

A CRUISE AIvONG THE NORTH COAST OF HONDURAS TO TRUXII,I,0 — 

IvANDING IN THE BREAKERS — STUDY A WATERSPOUT — 
. WALKER THE FILIBUSTER — SPANISH CRUELTY 

AND ENGLISH PERFEDY. 

One day it occurred to us, that we had seen enough of Puerto 
Cortez. 

The captain of a Utilla Sloop, "The Sea Gull," of nine 
tons burden, happened to be on hand with an empty vessel, 
waiting for a commision. Having learned that he was one of the 
best sailors in the south, and that he was not averse to a cruise of 
a month, we chartered the vessel, and soon transfered our belongings 
to its hold, after which we bid adieu to our many friends and went 
aboard about 3 p. m. We rejoiced to again breathe the free air of 
the sea and feel the motion of the boat as it answered to the swell 
that was now running quite high, owing to a stiff breeze from the 
north, which drove the waters of the gulf through the narrow 
entrance of the harbor and piled them up until they splashed 
among the piles supporting the old store-house, which we had just 
abandoned and which ordinarily stood fifty feet from the shore. 
We lay at anchor until about sun down, when the north wind fell, 
and shortly after the "land" breeze came in fitful puffs, then more 
steadily, until our sail filled and we were under way. Our crew 
now consisted of Capt. Brown and mate Roland, both white, 
natives of Jamaica, the latter acted in the double capacity of cook 
and common sailor; the passengers were three in number, the 
writer, his cousin and colored servant, James, sometimes called 
Santiago. James was a native of Mexico and a bright boy of his 
class. He spoke the Spanish language fluently, and was well 
versed in the strange dialect of the Caribs, which made his ser- 
vices valuable in dealing with the mixed population of the coast, 
who invested many a shining dollar through the enticing eloquence 
of this dusky trader. 

. We stopped at a number of small villages and did a thriving 
trade. There are no harbors along the north coast excepting 



68 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



those of Puerto Cortez and Truxillo, the latter being protected on 
one side only, is nothing to brag of, but the towns and vil- 
lages lying between those points are without harbors and landing 
is difficult and sometimes dangerous. Owing to the prevalence of 
the trade winds, there is usually a tremendous surf, and vessels 
are often detained several days on this account. This, of course, 
is a great disadvantage to these places, which otherwise are splen- 
didl)^ situated in the midst of the fruit belt. 

We made shore at Tela, in the ^nidst of a surf that threatened 
destruction to goods and passengers. Landing under such circum- 
stances is an experience to be remembered. The Captain and 
Roland are good oarsmen. They are in the small boat which is 
being tossed about like a bubble, now it strikes the sloop with a 




bang, the next instant is ten feet away, then back, up and down. 
The sloop is small and light, and rolls almost as bad as the yawl. 
The Captain is waiting for us to make the leap from the deck to 
his boat. We watch closely, the tenth part of a second too soon 
or too late, means a plunge into the sea. The water looks nice 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 69 

and cool, but a half dozen sharks have been following in our wake. 
They are large and hungry. We do not wish to meet them — we 
watch the little boat — it strikes the sloop with a crash. "Now!" 
shouts the captain, we leap wildly and fall in a heap, but safe. 
Then for the land. As we approach, the angry breakers roll 
higher and higher. The Captain is an expert. We ride the 
waves like bird, we approach the shore, the water is becoming 
rougher every instant, a great, green wall is piling up behind us, 
the captain shouts, we know he is shouting by the motion of his 
lips, but his words are lost — our ears are filled with the roar of the 
surf that is breaking along the coast for miles, it is louder than 
Niagara, every time we rise on the crest, of one of those green 
mountains we can see the shore — men are watching us — waiting 
for us — then we sink into a valley. For a moment nothing is vis- 
able but a streak of sky — up once more — then a shock, we have 
struck the sand, but fifty feet of shoal water still intervenes, men 
rush out to meet us — they motion us to jump on their backs. Our 
cousin is a light weight. He leaps nimbly on the shoulders of a 
stalwart native and is borne safely to the land. The captain, 
Roland and James all go safely. I hesitate, having never been 
carried since I can remember — don't like the idea— native looks 
weak — no other way. Indian says "come," only word of English 
he knows. I go, he trembles under me — will he reach the shore ? 
He hesitates, then, with a snort like a wild horse he staggers for- 
ward. I pity him, oEer to get down and help, but he don't under- 
stand and before I can make my meaning clear, he is on land.. 
"Kiramba," is the only word he utters as he falls on the sand, 
sprawling at full length. Thus we land at Tela, a village of huts, 
with a few orange trees and cocoanut palms and some small ban- 
ana plantations. A few soldiers, one of whom died during our 
visit and we saw him buried with scant ceremony in his ragged 
uniform, and without a coffin. 

Two incidents occured during our stay in this village, thatserve 
to fix the place indelibly in our minds. The first was the passing of 
a waterspout and as* it was the first event of the kind we ever wit- 
nessed, we were much impressed by the spectacle. The following 
account is taken from the Pittsburg Post: 

"About three o'clock this afternoon, while enjoying our usual 
siesta, we were aroused by a strange noise — it was unlike any- 



JO 



A HoosiER IX Honduras. 



thing I had heard, and I listened for a minute or so, trying to 
account for it without the trouble of getting up, for as yet I was 
only half awake. The air was heavy and close, as though charged 
with some noxious gas; breathing required an effort that was unnat- 
ural. We seemed to be under the shadow of some uncertain peril. 
The interior of the grove was dark as a deserted church. 

Meanwhile the mysterious din increased to a heavy rum- 
bling roar, to which were now added a variety of notes, sharp, shrill, 
hissing, at times so piercing as to arnount to a shriek, almost human 
in its intensit}'. There was also a succession of sharp reports with 
a crackling sound like that produced by the burning of a cane brake. 

Now fully awake I tumbled from my hammock in haste, and 
sought the source of all this commotion. Emerging from the deep 
shadows of the grove I was confronted by the most remarkable 
spectacle I had ever witnessed. Within a quarter of a mile of the 
shore a gigantic waterspout was moving slowly in a westerly dir- 




A WATERSPOUT. 



ection almost parallel with the line of breakers that lashed the 
coast. At this distance the appearance was peculiar and striking. 
A dark column rose from the water to the cloud above, which 
seemed torn by contending winds, so that great sections of the 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 71 

black curtain were every moment whipped off and went tumbling- 
downward only to be drawn within the terrible vortex and again 
sent skyward' and there scattered in a thousand fragments by the 
opposing forces above. Thus there was a constant downward rush 
of clouds at a short distance from the center of action, and a con- 
stant upward rush close to the rising column as they were drawn 
within the influence of the whirlwind. 

At the base of the pillar, which grew heavier and blacker 
every moment, the water was lashed into a state of fury quite inde- 
scribable. Clouds of spray obscured the sea for a distance of one 
hundred yards or more, beyond which it was comparitively 
smooth. Although frequent and vivid flashes of lightning played 
among the writhing masses of vapor, there was no following crash 
of thunder, which struck one as remarkable at the time, though I 
am now convinced that the sound was simply drowned, as it were, 
by the superior roar of wind and waves. The scene pre- 
sented was grand and fearful. The heavy brow of the approach- 
ino- cloud bulged downward as though ready to burst with the 
accumulated weight of water; the color of this advance guard was 
a dull olive, almost black, merging into a sulphurous yellow on 
the edges of the heavy folds, among which the lurid flashes 
o-leamed incessantly. It seemed like a hand-to-hand conflict 
between the forces of air and water, and we watched it with intense 
interest, and some apprehension, for several minutes, after which 
the wind seemed to have spent its strength, the stately shaft began 
to waver and soon broke near the center, the upper portion ming- 
ling with the clouds, the lower part falling back into the sea which 
soon became calm as the surrounding surface. 

Three minutes later the over-burdened clouds, unable longer 
to support the tremendous weight imposed on them, gave way, and 
the downpour that followed baffles description. It was not rain in 
the ordinary sense; the water did not fall in drops, but in streams,, 
producing a fine spray that hid all but the nearest objects. 
Although our house was situated on a high knoll it trembled under 
the pressure, and we seemed surrounded by the sea. Fortunately 
this did not last but a few seconds, else the very earth must have 
been washed away. As it was, the lower portion of the village was 
inundated and many houses destroyed. 

I have described in a feeble way the appearance of what is 



72 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

popularl}' known as a waterspout, but which is nothing more or 
less than a whirlwind of unusual violence, occuring on the water 
instead of land, and gathering up in its strong arms the spray from 
the waves, in place of dust, leaves and other light material encoun- 
tered when traversing the same distance over fields and woods. 

The primarj' cause of whirlwinds has never been satisfactorally 
explained. The commonly accepted theory is, that they are produced 
by the action of counter currents of air, that is, two currents, moving 
in opposite directions meet and instead of sliding along smoothly and 
peaceably, as they should, one will try to induce the other to 
change its course, which the other naturally refuses to do, the con- 
sequence is, a portion of air from either side becomes engaged in a 
violent tussel pulled to the right on one hand, to the left on the 
other, until in the confusion it forgets which side it belongs to, and 
gaining in strength, declares itself an independent body, and goes 
whirling along quite indifferent to all the laws of air, a windy rebel, 
full of blow and bluster! 

The only plausible, I should say reasonable, theory that has 
been advanced was given a few years ago by a writer who said 
the atmosphere surrounding the earth might be compared to 
a series of blankets, stretched one above the other, the dividing 
line usually being marked by clouds of various forms arranged in 
horizontal lines, their character varying according to their height. 
On certain occasions a stratum of very warm air lies immediately 
over the earth's surface, right above this we find a second stratum 
of cold air. The hot air being light presses upward with a con- 
stant effort to escape, but is held in place by an equally firm pres- 
sure from above, but it sometimes happens that the overlying 
blanket has been worn thin in places and the hot air taking advan- 
tage of the situation rips out a square and rushes through. News 
of the breach spreads rapidly, and soon all the warm air in the 
vicinity hurries forw^ard watching for an opportunity to crowd out 
into the cool space above. My authority goes on to say that the 
motion of the air near this opening is precisely the same as that 
produced in a basin of water by suddenly removing the stopper in 
the bottom. The rapid displacement of the lower portion causes a 
commotion which in a second or two extends to the surface, form- 
ing a minature whirlpool which continues to revolve until all the 
water has escaped. 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 73 

The accompanying illustration, from a sketch made on the 
spot, will give the reader some idea of a waterspout as viewed by the 
writer from a distance of one-fourth of a mile, or there about. 
Two miles out the sun is brighthly shining and the tiny white caps 
flash merrily. Far away, on the horizon, a couple of schooners 
bound for some southern port, are tranquiling sailing, apparently 
unconscious of their dangerous neighbor; but the captains have 
already noted the storm and carefully computed its distance, its 
speed and direction. They knew long ago that there was nothing 
to fear from this revolution of the winds. ' ' 

The other event which renders Tela quite unforgetable was 
the result of a trait peculiar to the native. While the experience 
was purely personal, its rehearsal will serve as an illustration of 
Hondurian character and for this purpose we again quote from the 
"Post." 

"The politeness of the Spaniards is proverbial. Sometimes it 
is excessive — I might say oppressive. They place their houses, 
furniture and servants at your disposal. Do you contemplate a 
journey, they will furnish horses as well as Mozos, and accompany 
you in person quite regardless of the sacrifice to their own inter- 
ests. If you admire an article you are at once informed that "it is 
yours." Yesterday my traveling companion, himself a man of 
family and a lover of children, stopped at a wayside cottage in 
quest of bananas. He says he was met in the doorway by a baby 
of the brunette type, a dark, rich, walnut color, with a shock of 
black tangled hair and great fishy, staring eyes. It was naked. With 
one dusky hand resting on the bamboo frame it aided its faltering 
steps, with the other it grasped a large piece ot "dulce" (native 
sugar,) which it sucked with evident satisfaction. Wishing to 
make a good impression at the start, and well knowing a mother's 
weakest point, he began to extol the infant's charms in the warm- 
est terms. Such lovely eyes! Such a heavenly complexion! 
Such a sweet expression! (literally true. ) He says he will never 
forget the feeling of amazement, followed by one of horror and 
disgust, when the 'polite senora thrust the squirming youngster 
into his arms saying, "take him, he is yours. ' I do not wish to ques- 
tion my friends veracity — but this sounds like a — well say a 
chestnut re-roasted. 

I had been suffering silently several days from a defective 



74 A HoosiftR IN Honduras. 

tooth. One morning the pain was so great I could not conceal my 
anuo3'auce. It was a large, double molar, wayback in the 
upper jaw. I was almost frantic. There was no dentist within a 
hundred miles. Our good host, Don Jose, noticing my agitation, 
inquired the cause and at once offered his services. His father had 
practiced dentistrj^ years ago, and among the old heirlooms was 
a pair of forceps of ancient pattern. They were covered with a 
thick coating of rust — dark red — horribly suggestive. For a half 
hour I had been seriously contemplating self-destruction, but the 
moment nij'- importunate friend appeared with this frightful iustru- 
menf of emancipation the pain ceased, and life seemed a sweet 
and priceless possession. 

I hastened to assure him of my recovery and begged him not 
to trouble himself further, adding, that I should always feel under 
obligations for the unselfish interest manifested in my behalf. But 
he was not to be moved. The tooth should be taken out b}^ all 
means. It would not be any trouble,, on the contrar)^ he would 
consider it a personal favor to be allowed to ' 'serve senor. ' ' It would 
be a mark of respect and confidence that would be appreciated and 
treasured in his memory for years, he said. Meanwhile a crowd of 
natives had gathered about the door. His wife and daughter came 
in and added their entreaties to those of the ardent Don. The 
spectators were becoming restless. Murmurs of impatience were 
heard. Insinuations, muttered half aloud, reached my ears. 
Some of these were not exactly flattering to my vanity. 'Bockra 
man too much 'fraid.' This was more than my pride could bear. 
I offered myself an unwilling and trembling sacrifice to that man's 
vain ambition. Oh ! 

From Tela we went to Ceiba, where we were landed in the 
usual picturesque fashion. This pretty little city nestles at the foot 
of Conger Hoj^, the highest mountain in Honduras. It has a pop- 
ulation of about 4000. Being situated in the center of the banana 
belt, it enjoys a degree of prosperity unequaled by any town on the 
north coast. It is well built of frame and adobe houses, many of 
them neatly painted, their red-tiled roofs gleaming among banana 
and cocoanut ''walks," which abound on every side. I am told 
that the shipments of bananas from this point alone average about 
100,000 bunches monthly dnring the bus)^ season, which includes 
April, May, June and July. 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



75 



The thunder of the surf makes endless music for the lover of 
nature, but the contending waves interfere sadly with the work of 
loading vessels which have to anchor about a mile away beyond 
the line of breakers. All fruit must be taken out in lighters, and 
the difficulty of "putting off" and landing in these raging waters 
can only be appreciated by those who have enjoyed the personal ex- 
perience. Often the sea is so rough that even the Caribs, who are 
expert sailors, are unable to launch a boat. At such times I have 
known steamers to lie nearly a week waiting for the angry waters 
to subside. 

The scenery in this vicinity is charming. The lofty dome-like 
crest of Conger Hoy rises to a height of 8,040 feet, clothed with 
verdure to its very top. This is an extinct volcano, and the shore 
is strewn with pumice stone thrown from its crater centuries ago, 
for it has not been active since the discovery of America. Some- 
times in the earl}^ morning a beautiful and startling effect is pro- 
duced. The base, shrouded in mist, seems far away, dim and 
indistinct, while the summit, towering far above the clouds, every 
projecting rock and shadowy ravine revealed by the slanting rays 
of the rising sun, seems thrust forward until it overhangs the town. 
So striking is this illusion at times that one can hardly resist the 
feeling of awe, almost of fear, inspired by the strange spectacle. 



MOUNT BONITA. 



To the westward stands the twin peak of Bonita, almost -as 
high and much more precipitous. The two are connected by a 



76 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

series of loft}' ridges, presenting in places an unbroken rock 
wall 2,000 feet high. It is only by comparison that the mind 
can grasp comprehensively such tremendous elevations. To do 
so, stand before the Masonic Temple (Chicago,) on the Soldiers 
monument (Indianapolis,) look up to the top of the shaft, measure 
well the distance, then, if your imagination is strong enough, pile 
six towers of the same height on the one before you. This will 
will give some idea of the precipice presented by the huge ragged 
spur that connects these giants. 

These are the mountains that guided the storm-tossed vessels 
of Columbus when on his fourth voyage he vainly sought for a 
strait through which he might sail into the undiscovered seas to 
the westward. It was within a few leagues of this place that he 
landed on the 14th day of August, 1502, to attend mass, which 
was celebrated under the trees, in the presence of the sailors and a 
large number of natives, who had assembled for the double pur- 
pose of satisfj'ing their curiosity and bartering the products of the 
country for European trinkets. 

And here we are to-day trading with the decendants of these 
same natives in much the same manner, transporting our stock on 
mules, traveling for daj^s through unbroken forests, traversing 
dense jungles or toiling wearily over mountains. Four centuries, 
so eventful in other parts of the earth, seem to have left no 
impression on this land of hammocks and dreamy repose." One 
evening we found ourselves before the ancient city of Truxillo. 

In the year 1524 or 1525, Hernando Cortez, then in the zen- 
ith of his fame, arrived at this port, which was at that early date, 
a place of considerable importance. 'Cortez had left the capital of 
Mexico for the express purpose of punishing the rebel Christoval 
de Olid, a brave but unprincipeled general, whom the ruler of New 
Spain had instructed to establish a settlement on the north coast 
of Honduras, and to that end he was intrusted with a small army 
to carry out the enterprise, which, having accomplished, he 
decided to set up a government of his own. However, the story 
of his disaffection finally reached the ears of the Vice Roy, who at 
once despatched a faithful follower, Francisco de las Casas, with 
orders to arrest the rebel — but the avenger fell into the hands of 
Olid and was made a prisoner, but after a time was released. No 
sooner was he at liberty than he began plotting the overthrow of 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



77 



Olid and at last succeeded in securing enough followers to carr}^ 
out his purpose, and Christoval de Olid was promptly beheaded. 
Meanwhile L^as Casas, having remained absent so long, Cortez 
fearing that he had been overtaken by some disaster, decided to go 
to his rescue and at the same time, punish his rebellious general in 
such a way that the example would be an object lesson to others 
who might be tempted in the same manner. Cortez finding his 
mission fulfilled, so far as Olid was ccncerned, spent some time 
exploring the country near the mouth of the Rio Dulce, after 
which he fitted up two brigantines and continued the expedition 
with a view of exploring more thoroughly the coast of Honduras. 
It was during this excursion that he visited the port now known as 
Truxillo or Trujillo, as the Spaniards frequently write it. The 
surf was running so high that he decided not to land, but the 
inhabitants "were so overjoyed that they rushed into the shallow 
water and eagerly bore the general in their arms to the shore. ' ' 
Just so, we have been carried at almost every place on the coast 
and our .heart swells with pride to think that our appearance has 
been hailed with almost the same enthusiasm that greeted the 
renouned Cortez, and that people have splashed out through the 
salt water for the purpose of carrying us ashore, for pure love and 
admiration — of our pocket book. 




OLD FORT TRUXILLO. 



78 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

The city possesses a fair harbor, being partly sheltered by a 
long narrow strip of land, which runs out to the east of the town, 
and as the prevailing winds are from that direction, landing ordin- 
arily is easily accomplished. We arrived at this place on the 15th 
of Jul3^ The sea being calm, we went on shore at once. The 
principal part of the town is built on a narrow plateau about eight}^ 
feet above the sea, but the custom house and a few wholesale 
stores are clustered about the landing and along the line of the 
street leading up to the main portion of the city. This road is- 
cobbled from wall to wall and is veri'^ long and steep and those who 
have walked its length under the tropical sun, will not soon for- 
get the tramp, but at the end we are rewarded by the sight of the 
"Posado Crespo," one of the finest, best equipped and managed 
hotels in Honduras. Here we were alloted rooms on the second 
floor, large, airy apartments opening on a long balcony overlook- 
ing the plaza. 

The plateau on which the city is built is perhaps a half mile 
wide, immediately back of which the mountains rise to the clouds. 
Like most towns on the coast, the Caribs represent the working 
class and w^e took advantage of the opportunity to secure a sup. 
ply of pine apples. This matchless product of the tropics here 
attains its highest degree of perfection, its cultivation requiring 
only the slightest effort, 3^et with all these advantages, and in face 
of the fact that it always commands a good market, the indolent 
natives refuse to take the trouble to raise it, hence our appreciation 
of the industrious habits of the caribs, whose enterprise made it 
possible for us to enjoy this delicious fruit to the fullest extent. 

Truxillo or Trujillo, was founded sometime previous to 1525, 
probably about 1520, for it was an established settlement enjoying 
a considerable trade at the time of the visit of Cortez. While this 
famous general was being feasted in the village and his brigau- 
tines were rocking idly in the sunny sea, John de Verrazano was 
exploring the cold and cheerless shores of New York, but it was 
almost a hundred years later that the first permanent settlement 
was made by the Dutch on Manhattan Island, thus it will be seen 
that Truxillo is one of the oldest towns in America being from 30 
to 40 years older than St. Augustine, Fla. 

Among the interesting specimens of ancient Spanish architec- 
ture, the old church and ruined fort will probably have the great- 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 79 

-est attraction for the visitor, especially if he has a taste for antiqui- 
ties. The crumbling towers of the old fortification with its walls 
covered with vines, forms one of the most picturesque objects in 
the town, and if the tourist is artistically inclined he will not leave 
without carrying with him some sketches of this romantic ruin. 
The modern town is built of adobe and many of the houses were 
neatly painted and quite a number of new structures were under 
course of construction. 

We were not long in learning that Truxillo was even more 
Tiealthful than Puerto Cortez, and fever was quite unknown but a 
many persons had the same strange spells of shivering that 
were noted at all other points on the coast, and during our short 
stay there were several deaths. Among those who were "never 
sick" was a young man from New York. He was quite delirious 
and talked incessantly about the cool spring on his father's farm, 
which was situated near Albany. In any other country this man 
would have been considered "quite under the weather," but not so 
here. "He'll be up in a day or two" said the doctor, and the doc- 
tor was right, two days later found him "up" on the hill, but 
he did go of his own volition. If this case had occured in 
one of our own ports, ^ ,.^. ;;,-.-.^"-:,„.v..;^,.«» 
it^ would have been ^^^^^^^^^^^^fe'^^ 

and the town quaran-'^^^^^S^^^^^^^S^R^^-,^.^ 

officials, and in some ...::.:!^ ^^^ ^%.,,»^-^^:2p=>-^^^ f^^^^^^K^ 
cases by the leading "^.^ea-A. Tpi::^^ — ■ * ' ^'^ Jvl^^^^^^^^m I 
merchants and plan- "^^^i^^i^^X^^^^s;:::? "^ fm^ w 

ters in regard to the \m 

prevalence of deadly b^^^i, ^^^^ ^-^^ fru^?^ 

fevers is nothing short 

of criminal, and is altogether inexcusable, as by taking such wise pre- 
cautions as have been noted in the more progressive town of Belize, 
the ravages of this dread disease (call it yellow fever or black, as 
you prefer, its equally fatal) would be greatly diminished if not 
wholly avoided. 



80 A HOOSIER IN HONBURAS. 

This reckless indifference to the welfare of visitors and possible 
investors, the outgrowth of selfishness and ignorance, satisfactorily 
accounts for the backward conditions of society and trade along this 
coast which under happier circumstances might enjoj^ a high degree 
of prosperity. It was at this place that Wm. Walker of Filibuster 
fame met his death. Those unfamiliar with the history of this 
famous outlaw will find an admirable account of his life and wild 
raids in the book entitled "Story of the Filibusters," by James 
Jeffrey- Roche, to which we are indebted for the following record of 
his sentence and death. "To capture the town of Trujillo on the 
mainland was but work of half an hour, onl}^ a few of the assailants 
being wounded. Walker received a slight wound in the face. 
Scarcely had the town been occupied when a British war steamer, 
the Icarus, appeared on the scene. Captain Salmon, her com- 
mander, immediately notified Walker that the British Government 
held a mortgage against the revenues of the port as security for cer- 
tain claims, and that he intended to protect the interests of his gov- 
ernment by taking possession of the town. Walker replied that he 
had made Trujillo a free port and consequently could not entertain 
any claims for revenues which no longer existed. The captain re- 
fused to recognize an}^ change in the government of Honduras and 
sent a peremptory demand for surrender, promising in case of com 
pliance to carry the prisoners back to the United States, and threat- 
ening to open fire on the town if his demand was not immediatly com- 
plied with, meanwhile General Alverez with 700 soldiers was pre- 
paring to make an assualt by land, thus hemmed in Walker deter- 
mined to evacuate Trujillo, which he did the following night 
retreating down the coast with only seventy men. In their haste 
they were compelled to leave behind all their heavy baggage and 
accoutrements, carrjang only thirty rounds of ammunition each, 
the rest they destroyed. When the British landed next morning 
they were only in time to protect the sick and wounded in the hos- 
pital from the ferocious Hondurians. The Icarus immediately took 
Alvarez and a strong force on board and steamed down the coast in 
pursuit. At the mouth of the Rio Negro they learned that Walker 
lay encamped at the Indian villiage of lycmas whither the boats of 
the Icarus were sent. They found the adventurers in no condi- 
tion to oppose such overwhelming odds. They carried with them 
only two barrels of bread and being without blankets ,or overcoats 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



81 



many had been attacked with fever from sleeping on the damp 
ground. To Captain Salmon's demand for unconditional surrender, 
Walker replied witn the inquiry whether he was surrendering to the 
British or Hondurians? Captain Salmon twice assured him dis- 
tinctly and specifically that it was to her Majesty's forces, where- 
upon the Filibusters laid down their arms and were carried on 
board the Icarus. On arriving at Trujillo, Captain Salmon, 
turned his prisoners over to the Hondurian authorities despite their 
protest and demand for trial before a British tribunal. Walker was 
arraigned before a court-martiel on the eleventh of September and 
after a brief examination was condemned to die by the fusillade next 
morning. He heard his sentence with calmness and was remanded 
Xo prison to pass the night in preparing for death. At half past 
seven o'clock on the 
morning of September 
12th he was led out to 
the place of execution. 
He walked unfettered 
with a calm firm tread. 
He carried the crucifix 
in his left hand, a hat in 
his right. A priest 
walked by his side re- 
citing prayers for the 
dying. Two soldiers 
walked before him carry- 
ing drawn sabres, three 
more followed him with 
bayonets at the charged. 
Upon entering the hollow square of soldiery on the plaza, he begged 
the priest to ask pardon in his name of anyone whom he had 
wronged in his last expedition, then mounting the fatal stool he 
addressed his executioners in Spanish , as follows : 

"I am a Roman Catholic. The war which I made in accor- 
dance with the suggestion of some of the people Ruatan was unjust. 
I ask pardon of the people. I receive death with resignation, 
would that it might be for the good of society," Then calm as he 
had ever been in peace or in war, he awaited the fatal signal. The 
captain of the firing party gave a sharp order, dropped the point of 




the; de;ntist. 



82 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

his saber and at this sign three soldiers stepped forward to within 
twenty feet of the condemned man and fired their muskets. All of 
the balls took effect but still the victim was not dead, whereopon a 
fourth soldier advanced, and placeing the nuizzle of his piece to the 
forehead of the victim, blew out his brains — and so died the last of 
the Filibusters. " 

Though Walker, the outlaw, freebooter and usurper, maj^ have 
richl}' deserved the fate which overtook him in the plaza of this 
ancient town, language cannot frame a sentence bitter enough to 
properl}^ express the feeling of scorn which is aroused in recalling 
the perfid}' of Captain Salmon, whose treachery in thus delivering 
his prisoners into the hands of his enemies, after faithfully promis- 
ing to carry him and his wretched companions to the United States,' 
could only be matched by the brutal and inhuman savages into 
whose hands he played. It seemes incredible that an English offi- 
cer of his rank and intelligence could have been guilty of such base- 
ness. I hope my readers will not attribute this outbreak to sec- 
tional feeling or national antipath}' — it was simply a case of indi- 
vidual barbarity and for fear these words may be misconstrued as 
aimed at the British as a class, I will recite another incident which 
goes to show that the English heart is not always on the wrong 
side. The storj^ is told in the following letter, recently printed 
in the "News." 

"Now that the brief misunderstanding between this courtr}- 
and Great Britain is happily at an end, and we are shaking hands 
and congratulating each other on the peaceful settlement of the diffi- 
culty, it is pleasant to recall an incident in which her majestj^'s 
armed sloop Niobe once did us a friendly turn. It was during the 
Cuban Rebellion of 1868-76 and the date was November, 1873. A 
vessel, the Virginus, sailing under the United Sates flag had been 
captured by the Spanish gunboat, Tornado, and carried into the 
harbor of Santiago, where here crew and over 100 passengers were 
thrown into prison. Among the latter were four insurgent leaders, 
Senores Ryan, Cespedes, Varona and Del Sol. These were immed- 
iately tried by the Spanish Military Court and five days after the 
capture were shot, their heads cut off and carried about the 
streets on pikes, while some of the bearers pressed the ghastly relics 
against the bars of the prison windows, as a reminder of the fate the 
captives might expect. Having so quickly dispatched these rebels, 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 83 

the thirst for blood was increased ten fold. The remaining priso- 
ners were at once treated to a mock trial and condemned to death. 
No attention was paid to the protests of the English and American 
Consuls and on the seventh day of- November, Captain Fr)- an 
American citizen, and. fifty-one companions were cruelly butchered 
in the presence of a howling mob, who were allowed to mutilate the 
dead bodies as they choose. This fiendish work was not only per- 
mitted but was encouraged by the Spanish commander. It seems 
incredible that such atrocities could have been perpetrated in the 
present century by a Christian nation, but such are the facts which 
are well authenticated. About ninety poor wretches still remained 
in confinement, and in spite of the earnest protest of our representa- 
tives supplemented by the efforts of the English Consul, the entire 
number where condemned to death and the hour set for their execu- 
tion. No American vessel was in those waters at that time, but 
thanks to the ever present English man of war the armed sloop 
Niobe lay at Kingston within a days sail. No sooner had her com- 
mander, Sir lyambton I^orraine, heard of the work going on at San- 
tiago than he set sail for that port, where he arrived promptly and 
without waiting for instructions or consulting an3^one, he at once 
demanded the reprieve of the condemmed men, most of whom were 
Americans, and when General Burriel sought to argue the ques- 
tion, he quickly brought the debate to a close. You have mur- 
dered British subjects, he declared, and are holding others in prison, 
release them immediately or I will blow your town to atoms! There 
was no dallying, the Niobe's ports were open, her guns trained and 
every man at his post. It required only a signal from the commander 
to bring down a storm of shot and shell that would soon have reduced 
the town to a mass of smoking ruins. Burriel made one more effort 
by insisting that only Americans were concerned, thinking by this 
assertion to arouse the prejudice of the English commander. The 
ruse did not succeed. If that is the case, replied Lorraine, I 
will take the responsibility of protecting American citizens, if you 
do not at once comply with my demands I will open fire. The 
Spaniard was forced to accept the terms and to this friendlj^ but 
unwarranted act of an English captain, nearly a hundred lives were 
saved, a large proportion of whom were citizens of the United 
States. Possibly the Englishman erred in a diplomatic point of 
view by taking the high-handed course adopted on this occasion^ 



•84 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



but we cannot help admiring the courage that moved him to act so 
promptly and vigorously in behalf of the little band of Americans 
who would have been shot like dogs within a few hours. The epi- 
sode furnishes one example at least when a British man of war was 
a welcome sight to Yankee eyes, and the remembrance at this time 
cannot fail to hasten the return of an era of good felling on the part 
of the two great powers, that after all are very closely allied in all 
that appeals to the great heart of humanitv. 






ancie;nt gate truxii,i,o. 



chapYkr v. 

VISIT THE BAY ISIvANDS, BONACCA, RUATAN, UTII.LA — A NIGHT OF 
STORM — BACK AT THE PORT. 

From Truxillo we returned to Puerto Cortez by way of the 
Bay Islands, visiting Bonacca, Ruatan and Utilla in succession. 
This part of the trip was like a holiday excursion and will always 
be remembered with pleasure. The first da5''s sail was rather rough 
owing to headwinds which kepts us on the "tack" during the 
whole day and the motto of the hour was, "Ivook out for the boom, ' ' 
for with each change of course the heavy timber would swing 
across the deck with teriffic force, and fearfully close to the floor, 
so whenever we heard the warning cry all hands fell flat. The 
waves were glorious and we could not sufficiently admire the beaut- 
iful play of color as the light penetrated the rising crest that fell a 
moment later in a sheet of glistening foam. The breeze continued 
fresh, flocks of gulls wheeled about over head while vast schools of 
porpoises churned the sea into a creamy foam. Occasionally a wave 
of unusual dimensions would sweep the deck drenching us to the 
skin in spite of our huge oil skin coats or "slickers," which we had 
provided for such emergencies, but with a temperature averaging 
about 85 degrees, a ducking was not such a disagreeable exper- 
ience. Here and there some pirate of the deep, would be be seen 
in pursuit of its legitimate prey, the flying fish, but apparentl}^ 
meeting with small success, the little fellows being to quick for 
them; as they rose from the water in the distance they looked like 
flakes of burnished silver floating in the air — their flight was swift 
and extended from one hundred to two hundred yards, at a time. 
One struck the sail and fell on deck, which we captured, but 
soon restored to liberty and the chances of being devoured by its 
old enemy. 

Bonacca is a picturesque little island, inhabited by a mixed 
population of Indians, negroes and half breeds and one or two 
whites. lyike all other places on the coast, this town was noted for 
its healthfulness — indeed, the climate was so e.xcessively salubrious 
the inhabitants could not live on the mainland but built their village a 
mile or more from shore, where a coral reef formed the foundation 



86 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

for the miserable huts which were raised on piles about four feet 
above the water. All communication was carried on in boats. As 
might be expected under such circumstannces, the citizens of this 
western Venice are lawless and ignorant, their principal diversion 
being found in cutting each others throats. The only incident 
recalled at this place occured on the evening of our arrival. A 
couple of Indians had been indulging their tastes for carnage, by 
hacking each other heads with their ever read}^ machetes- As is 
usual in such affrays, one of the pair was killed. The "Comand- 
ante" sent a couple of half clad soldiers to arrest the criminal. 
They succeeded in capturing him and were proceeding to the 
Cabildo in their boat, when the prisoner, succeeding in freeing his 
hands, made a sudden leap for liberty. He swam with the great- 
est ease but the soldiers followed him closely belaboring him with 
their oars until he sank from exhaustion. He was then dragged 
out arid carried to headquarters in an insensible condition, covered 
with blood. The scene was revolting and we were glad to leave 
the miserable island, which under a stable and civilized goverment 
might be made one of the pleasantest resorts in the south. 

From Bonacca to Ruatan is some 30 or 40 miles, the wind 
being favorable the "sea-gull" fairly leaped from wave to wave. 
We were now in the track of the trade winds w^hich blow with such 
regularity that they cause a surface current that bears the boat 
along as on a river. The same wind carried Columbus and his 
intrepid followers gaily along the same path four hundred j^ears 
before, but proved a perfect demon w^hen he attempted to return 
and he was forced to "tack" along the shore of the main land, 
much as we had done on our outward journey, but we were in the 
"swim" now and a few hours sailing found us at the little harbor 
of Oakridge, Island of Ruatan. The entrance to this prett)-- little 
bay is scarcel}^ wide enough to admit a vessel being protected b}- a 
long line of coral reefs. A couple of poles firmly fixed in an 
upright position indicated the exact location of the opening and b}^ 
carefully maneuvering, our captain steered the sloop safely between 
the rocks over which the water was roaring with a voice louder 
than thunder. We onh^ stopped at this place long enough to 
secure a fresh supply 'of water and pineapples, and to call on some 
English boat builders, the Cooper Bros., who, with their parents 
had made this lonely, but lovely harbor their home for many j^ears. 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 87 

Here we saw the bread fruit, and the tree which produces it. We 
were dissapointed — instead of nice crisp, brown leaves hanging 
from every limb ready for the table, we found only a green spongy 
sort of substance about the size of a cauliflower, which it somewhat 
resembles; it was not good raw, and was worse boiled, but it 
is said to be nutritious; it will sustain life, which is about all the 
natives care for; however, if the fruit is not quite up to ones expec- 
tations the tree itself surpasses them. It is beautiful and attains 
huge proportions, and should be cultivated for shade and ornament 
if for nothing else, its wide spreading branches and light green fol- 
iage, which forms an agreeable contrast to the denser growths, 
making it particularly desirable for public highwa5^s or private 
grounds. From here we went to Coxenhole, the largest town on 
the island but were prevented from landing by reports of 3'ellow 
fever, which some evil minded person had circulated but which, of 
course, were indignantly denied by the Spanish officials. How- 
ever, the American Consul, Mr. Burchard, came abroad our vessel 
and advised us to stay on the boat, for, said he, "while there ma)^ 
be no fever in the town, quite a number of persons have persisted 
in dying every day and almost without warning. Two of my office 
force have been carried 'up the hill' within the last forty-eight 
hours." Neither had been "sick," they simply died, to be in 
fashion perhaps, but as we had no ambition to keep up with the 
style and cared very little for the opinions of these people, we 
decided to run the risk of incurring their displeasure by continuing 
in this vulgar state of existence; so after viewing this interesting 
old town for a few hours from the deck of the sloop and taking on 
a supply of fresh water and fruit, we put about and were soon in 
the open, flying before the trade wind that had favored us ever 
since leaving Bonacca. The sea was glorious, the sky a peculiarly 
deep blue flecked here and there with light feathery clouds that 
took many fantastic forms. Refering to my note book for that date, 
I find the following: "Good breeze — heavy sea — captain says we 
are making nine knots — pretty fair — throw out line — catch a Bar- 
racuda — gamy fish — showed fight — weight, 15 pounds — Roland 
prepares same for dinner, not all, only part — elegant — throw out 
again, man on lookout shouts "a whale" — everybody makes a dash 
for the line; find it very hot, drop it — ^James fingers cut to the 
bone — a royal battle; we get oakum to protect hands, all sieze line, 



88 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

but with our united efforts canuot pull him up, he thrashes the 
water like a whirlwind, then down, the length of the line, he is 
huge — but is growing weaker after a half hour tug we haul him 
in, not a whale — a dolphin — beautiful fish." 

Having read so much concerning the changing colors that play 
over the surface of the dolphin while dying, I took particular pains 
to ascertain if the published accounts were really true, as I had 
always been somewhat skeptical on the subject. I draw on my 
note book again. "The fish when first landed was a bright golden 
yellow, with brilliant green spots. In less than five luinutes the 
3^ellow, Avliich formed the back ground, changed to a bright 
green and the spots to a vivid blue. Eor the next three minutes 
scarcely any change occured. Then the green became almost 




J... A >««.%- ^A.^.-l| 



YOUNG COCOANUT PALM, FOURTH YEAR FROM PLANTING. 



white, the blue spots continuing the same. A little later the white 
suddenly became a deep bronze green, the spots a brilliant yellow 
with a touch of carmine and the whole surface took on a peculiar 
metalic lustre. These shades continued with little change until 
the fish was quite dead. ' ' The effect was striking and with very 
little aid of the imagination, the poet's conception would be fully 
realized. 

Nothing could be more delightful than this trip. The air was 
cool but never chilly, the ever changing panorama of mountain 
and sea, the ceaseless music of the surf as it broke over the coral 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 89 

reefs that everywhere guard the coast like a line of pickets — all 
restraints of civilization were for the time cast aside, we reveled in our 
freedom like boys just out of school. We lolled about the deck, 
and read or dozed, or fished or listened to Roland's wild songs. 
The plaj^ of the awkward porpoises was a constant source of amuse- 
ment. These huge black fish seem to have nothing in the world 
to do but race about in schools of a dozen or more, chasing each 
other like children at play, frequently leaping out of the water and 
coming down like an avalanche, lashing the sea into a white froth. 
Often we sat up late at night watching the phosphorescent glow of 
the waves or the ever shifting lines of light reflected from the moon , 
which shone with a brilliancy unknown in the north. 

We varied the monotony by a daily bath on the deck, or in the 
surf along shore. We enloyed the most extraordinary appetites. 
Roland declared, three more such passengers would be worse 'han 
a visitation of locusts. Our meals were served on tin pans and our 
coffee in tin cups, the only kind of ware that could live through the 
buffetting our little vessel endured, but a hungry traveler cares lit- 
tle for tha ways of society, or its fancy dishes, and I am sure men 
never enjoyed their meals better than we. The Fifth Avenue with 
its elaborate menu and elegant service never awakened the keen 
zest with which we attacked our beans and bacon. Refer- 
ring again to my notes, I find: "July 19th, have just finished 
dinner — fish (baracuda) caught about an hour ago, roasted plan- 
tains, casava, bread, tinned butter, Holland corned beef , beans, ban- 
anas, pineapples, coffee, milk in tins from France, cigars from Cuba. ' ' 

After dinner we smoked and read, exchanged j^arns, landed 
another fish. Just as the sun was sinking between the island 
mountains, the captain, by a skillful maneuver, turned the "gull" 
into the harbor or Utilla. This is an English settlement and has 
an air of thrift and purpose that is usually lacking in the Spanish 
towns. Having ascertained that there was nothing to be feared 
from fever at this place, we were soon on snore. This was the 
home of the captain and Roland, and at their request we decided 
to stop here a day or two and make some sketches along the coast, 
which is very wild and picturesque. The village is small and of 
little importance as a trading point. Some bananas and pineap- 
ples were shipped from this place. While here we were enter- 
tained by Mr. Rose, the principal merchant of the port. His home 



90 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

the most modern in the village, attested the good tas'e of its 
inmates, consisting of Mrs. Rose and her two handsome daughters. 
It had been so long since we had entered a house provided with 
carpets and modern furniture, we hardly knew how to behave. 
Since leaving Belize three months ago, we had not found a build- 
ing containing any of these luxuries, with the single exception of 
the hotel at Truxillo. Here we found not only carpets, but 
papered walls hung with pictures, upholstered chairs, carved tables, 
a piano, bedsteads of the latest pattern with springs and white 
sheets. It semed like a veritable palace to us, and then the fresh 
bread and real butter, the snowy cloth, the china, the tea and 
toast, the well trained servant who glided noislessy about, always 
appearing just when wanted, and vanishing at the proper moment; 
the hearty good will of the parents, the ready wit, and merry laugh- 
ter of the 3^oung iadies, all combined to make our day at Utilla one 
to be remembered with pleasure. But like all earthly pleasures, 
this came to an end, and bidding our friends good bye, we returned 
to the deck of the boat which somehow seemed to have lost much 
of its attractiveness during our brief absence. Although the sky 
looked threatening, our captain decided to start about four o'clock. 
Roland protested stoutly. He was sure a storm was brewing, and 
he thought no harm conld come of tarrying a few hours longer, but 
the captain was not to be moved. He declared he could weather 
any gale that was likely to arise and as we were all anxious to get 
back to the Porte, where a week or two must be consumed in prep- 
arations for the over land trip, we took sides with the skipper, 
the air was heavy, a strange, dull gray mist hung over the distant 
mountains, the surf, breaking on the reefs a couple of miles southward 
moaned in a most melancholy way, the coral caverns along the 
shore seemed to catch and muffle the sound of the swirling water. 
The sea birds shrieked ominously, the gulls flew low, a brass col- 
ored sun glimmored faintly through a murky haze, but the captain 
laughed at the fears of his mate, and at the appointed hour we 
were on board, picking our way slowly among the fishing vessels 
that crowded the little harbor. About five p. m. we found our- 
selves clear, the breeze was fresh and as the sun neared the horizon 
the haze became thicker, until from a sickly yellow, the great ball 
turned to a dull red, tinging the whole sky with a firey glow. 
This was reflected by the water which now took the hue of molten 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 91 

copper. The distant peak of Conger Hoy was covered by a dark 
mass of clouds, whose black folds, slowly envelloped his giant 
shoulders gradually blotting out ravine or rocky precipice; from 
the midst of the writhing vapors. The lightening flashed, and a 
moment later the thunder would be heard pealing across the water 
like a signal of distress. The vapor seemed to gather from all sides 
and a few minutes after sunset the sky was covered. Not a single 
star on which to hang our hopes; the wind was rising and the huge 
billows gave out a phosphorescent glare that showed their outlines 
dimly as they rose in our wake momentarilly threatening the destruc- 
tion of our tiny craft. What appeared to be balls of pale green fire 
were frequently noticed in the water. These were probably the 
dimly seen forms of some of the numerous species of luminous fish, 
that inhabit these regions, but whatever the cause, the mysterious 
light added not a little to the wildness of the scene. Now and 
then a roller of ambitious proportions would climb over the stern and 
distribute itself about the deck. Uunder such circumstances the 
ocean seems very large, the boat very small — a two inch plank 
between you and eternity — these were many dangerous reefs along 
the coast and some isolated rocks, but in the awful blackness of 
the night nothing was visible, except when illuminated for an 
instant by the lightning, which was frequent, and it was to this 
finally that we owed our preservation. About midnight we were 
alarmed by a sound like muffled thunder, but continuous, a dull 
roar that was easily heard above the tumult of the storm. 

The captain understood at once that we were driving straight 
into the breakers. The force of the wind and the swell of the sea had 
carried us several points to the leeward. The old sailor knew every 
inch of the coast, and under oirdinary circumstances would have 
passed these dangerous points in safet}^, no matter how dark the 
night, but he had not been able to cope with the elements. We 
had been driven far out of our course. As it was, our only hope lay in 
steering through a narrow passage between two masses of rock that 
rose out of the sea like a ruined castle. This narrow opening was 
scarcely wide enough to admit a small boat and, of course, was 
quite invisible in the darkness, but we must risk it. The sound 
of the breakers became more and more distinct. Our chances 
were very slight indeed. Should our frail vessel strike these 
rocks she would be reduced to splinters in a few minutes, that the 



92 A HoosiER IX Honduras. 

danger was immiueut could not be denied, our captain held his 
place at the helm — motionless — speechless — rigid as an image of 
stone. The thunder of the breakers grew more teriffic every mom- 
ent, while we were all but smothered by the deluge of salt spraj- — 
we clung to the rigging with the grip of despair — out of the black- 
ness Death whispered hoarsely, "welcome, welcome ! " It was dur- 
ing this awful hour, when one's mind ought to have been concen- 
trated on spiritual matters, that the writer found himself the victim 
of a common delusion known as "living over the past" — and I con- 
fess with shame that the review revealed little to be proud of 
— strangely enjugh, the pictures recalled belonged to the period of 
childhood or earlj' youth — again I smoked mj' first "cheroot" back 
of a deserted house, hidden among a wilderness of weeds — once 
more, I "reaped" where I had not "sown," at least that was the 
testimony of an irate farmer who presented a bill to m}- astonished 




ROCKS OF COAST OF RL'HTAIV. 



parent for fruits that had never been ordered — in fact it seemed 
that the life of the victim, had been made up of a series of wicked 
and unlawful acts, one of the most disreputable of which seemed to 
stand out with a distinctness that eclisped all others. 

Trembling on the verge of a waterar^- grave, all present sur- 
roundings were forgotten, the author was a bo}- once more, it was a 
lovelj^ morning in March ; a sharp frost the previous night had bridged 
the streams with a thin film of ice which rang like steel as we 
skipped stones across the shinny surface, however, this melted 
rapidl5- under the warm rays of the sun-it was the sugar making sea- 
son in northern Ohio. Four school boys had found excuses sufH- 



A HoosiER IX Honduras. 93 

ciently plausible to secure their freedom, they were now approach- 
ing a "camp'' near the village — they did not seem to understand 
that the manufacture of maple molasses was carried on for profit, 
and when they found the place deserted, it occured to them that it 
would be a pleasant experiment to "boil down'' a few gallons of 
sap until it acquired that peculiar quality known as wax' — with 
this laudable object in view, one of the number began to gather 
wood, another carried the water, the third washed the pan and 
made ready for the work, while the fourth sinner whose name shall 
never be known, was appointed to the important service of scout, 
with instructions to give the alarm in case of danger. 

Xumber one was John H d. number two. Jerome 

B n, number three, George McC h. number four — 

unknown. 

The property lay immediately west of the village cemetery and 
had been leased for the season by a pious old man locally known as 
"Dad Burnit'" — "Dad"' was a member of the church, a 
consistent, hard working christian, whose conscientious scruples 
forbade the use of profanity- under the most trying circumstances, 
but who, nevertheless, found it absolutely necessary at times, to 
give vent to his feelings or die from suffocation, he therefore 
invented the mild expression quoted above, by which, from long 
association became recognized for miles around. 

The unnamed member of this quartet of depradators stationed 
himself on a fence and watched five minutes — from a nearbv hedge 
came the song of a sparrow — ^the creek hills were veiled by a bluish 
mist that softened their rugged outlines — a chipmonk scampered 
across an open space: number four gave one sharp, scrutinizing 
glance around the horizon — all was as peaceful as a dream — 
surely there could be no danger: he could hear the voices of num- 
ber one, two and three talking in low tones: he could also see the 
smoke, now slowly rising out of the underbrush: surely it could do 
no harm to look after that chipmonk — ^the chase proved long and 
exciting, even the "'wax" was forgotten — and number four seemed 
quite oblivious of the fact that he was in any way connected with 
the enterprise, however, his responsibility as sentry was suddenlv 

recalled there was a tremendous shout, "Dad Burnit, don't 

run — er I'll fiill yer so full of holes you won"t make a decent shad- 
der. " Xumber four was paralyzed with fright and stood like a 



94 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

statue, unable to move, number one, two and tnree were affected 
differentl}^ the}^ fled like the wind, making for the cemeterj^ where 
they escaped, hiding among the tombs — while the unfortunate sen- 
try was dragged back to town, down through the main street to his 
fathers door, and the story of his infamy told with' many outbursts 
of indignation on the part of the narrator — of course he received 
such punishment as was deemd proper under the circumstances, 
but the unkindest cut of all, came in the evening when his three 
accomplices returned with a pan full of "wax" which they had 
made in Undisturbed security while their companion was being 
ignominously marched off to the village; the sorrow of remorse of 
that moment all came back on this memorable night, and the roar 
of wind and waves was drowned by the dreadful shout of old 
' ' Dad Burnit, ' ' and the regret of a misspent life was lost in the deeper 
regret of that day in March, thirty years ago, not regret for the 
sin, but for the loss of his share in the spoils — this confes- 
sion is made in the interest of science^not because the writer cares 
to expose his unregenerate heart to the gaze of the world — can any 
one explain the phenomena? He trul}^ wished to think of things 
that were good, but at that supreme moment he could think of 
nothing but the "wax" — that he failed to secure. Suddenly a 
vivid flash, followed by another, revealed our position. The illum- 
ination lasted only a fraction of a second but it was enough for the 
captain to determine the location of the narrow strait, into which 
we were soon driving, the keel grazing the wall in its passage, 
which would certainly have proved our destruction had it not been 
for the timely flash. Once through this channel the sea 
became smoother and we felt comparatively safe. Everything 
loose had been washed overboard. Kettle, bucket, water cask; 
even our tin plates and drinking cups had dissapeared. These 
things had been overlooked in the hurry to secure the hatches the 
evening before. It was well that this was our last night on the 
sloop, as our meals would have been pitifully slim after this loss. 
Roland mounred the fate of his huge dinner pot and refused to be 
comforted. He felt that no other could ever take its place, and he 
dwelt long and lovingly on its peculiar qualities recalling the 
miraculous stews that had been concocted in its dark depths. 

About four o'clock we entered the harbor of Puerto Cortez, 
the second time, in a gale that sent the wattrs swhirling almost to 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 9S 

the doors of the custom house. About six o'clock a couple of offi- 
cers rowed out where we lay rocking on the short choppy sea, 
and, having examined our documents we were permitted to land. 
We were thoroughly drenched, having slept none during the night, 
consequently were not in a particularly good humor. It seemed 
an age since we left Utillia, and it was nearly a month before 
we entirely recovered from the peculiar sensation caused by the 
constant motion of the sloop — for days the earth seemed to be 
slowly heaving like the sea; when we closed our eyes we imagined 
we could feel the floor of the hotel rising and falling like the deck 
of the vessel. After a good bath, a complete change of clothing 
and a cup of black coffee brewed by our old friend, the hostess of 
the "Hotel American," we felt much refreshed and set at once 
about our preparations for the overland journey. The captain and 
Roland only lingered long enough to replace the lost utensils and 
hurriedly bade us adieu. They were anxious to return to their 
families; who would naturally be alarmed, on account of the storm 
which broke so soon after we left the harbor. 

We felt like very old friends indeed, although our acquaint- 
ance extended over a period of less than sixty days, it seemed to us 
that we had known these honest sailors all our lives, and it 
was with genuine regret we bade them adieu. 

It is wonderful how quickly men of widely different circum- 
stances become attached to each other when exposed to common 
dangers; for weeks we had shared alike the pleasures and perils of 
the little sloop, together we had partaken of the strange dishes 
invented by Roland, "the genius of the skillet," as the captain 
dubbed him, together we had sizzled under the burning sky dur- 
ing those calms that have already been referred to, together we had 
plowed the midnight sea when every moment seemed an hour and 
every hour an age — but it was over at last and the experience 
forms a figure in the ever lengthening pattern that falls from mem- 
ories looms; looms whose busy shuttles never cease gathering up 
the parti-colored threads of our lives; light and dark, bright or 
somber. We part at the wharf. We will not say good bye— only 
'so long, we'll see you later." Of course we never expected to 
but somehow its easier to part that way. 

As rapidly as possible we made our preparations for the moun- 
tain trip. When at last everything was packed and delivered to 



96 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

the railroad company, we sat down to wait for a train. While 
waiting, we explored the neighborhood in search of "pines" and 
found some — this recalls a little lecture recently delivered by a 
•'Hoosier School Master" for the benefit of the children under his 
charge in which he gravely informed his interested listeners that 
pineapples grew on pine trees, calling attention to the 
close resemblance of the "apple" to the cones with which the 
boys and girls were familiar, the difference in size and quality 
being due, he declared to climatic influence; he did not say that the 
natives trained monkeys to climb these trees and bring down the 
fruit, though that would not have been more absurd — we do not 
like to dispute so high an authority but a strict adherence to the 
facts compels us to state that pineapples do not grow on pine trees 
— or trees of any description but on a lowly plant which attains a 
height of from 3 to 4 feet. The cultivation of this fruit is one of 
the profitable industries of the south — the crop is very sure, and 
pays quite as well as bananas — the- following extract from the 
"Honduras Almanac" is the result of many years successful exper- 
ience by an English planter. 




A PINE TREE, HEIGHT 4 FEET. 

"The climate must be moist with a damp soil; as it does not 
^'seed," this plant "is propagated by suckers, requiring only from 
12 to 18 months to realize on the first crop — they should be planted 
in rich red soil, about 18 inches apart and carefully weeded about 
every three months — careful cultivation greatly improves the 
flavor of the fruit. 

"The distance apart at which they are planted in Jamiaca is 
3 1-2 feet between rows and 2>^ feet in the rows, this gives 4,840 
plants to the acre, out of this number j^ou can safely count on 4,000 
perfect pines, these sold at the ver}^ low price of 5 cents would give 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 97 

the producer an income of $200.00 per acre every 16 or 18 months. 
The pine fields ought to be cleaned five or six times a year, each 
cleaning costing say, $S per acre, or from $25 to $30 per acre per 
annum, this constitutes the whole cultivation. Each plant pro- 
duces one "pine," its place is then taken by one of the numerous 
suckers, the superfluous ones being carefully removed; only those 
who have tested the pine apple when fully matured in its native 
home have any idea of its delicious qualities, it is without doubt 
the finest of all southern fruits. We might add for the informa- 
tion of those who are interested in the subject that the varieties 
best adapted for export are the black Antigua, black Jamaica or 
"cow-boy," the Ripley, Charlotte Rothschild, smooth Ca^^enne, 
scarlet (or Cuban) and British Queen. Northern visitors are 
astonished at the size this fruit attains under proper cultivation, 
many specimens weighing from 10 to 12 pounds. 




GUARDIAN OF THE; P^ACE;, BELIZE. 



CHAPTER VI. 

THE GREAT TRANS-CONTINENTAI, RAILROAD — A FLYING TRIP OVER 
THE SAME — TOWN OF SAN PEDRO — A SMALL EARTH- 
QUAKE, MERELY A SAMPLE — WAITING. 

The reader who will take the trouble to consult the map of 
Central America, published by Rand, McNally & Co., will notice 
a long black line drawn across the republic of Honduras. It begins 
at Puerto Cortez and ends at a point on the Pacific near Amapala, 
or vice versa, as the observer may decide. It represents the rail- 
road which was to become "America's highway" and which, 
to use the flowery language of its enthusiastic promoters, was to 
"shape the destiny of the nation." 

The rich agricultural regions of the interior would be opened 
to the world, and the tide of prosperity that would follow could 
hardly be imagined much less described. An elaborate system of 
feeders were planned that would tap all those rich mining centers, 
which lacked only transportation facilities to transform them into 
veritable bonanzas. Hundreds of thousands of acres of land, 
almost worthless from a commercial point of view, would find a 
market at prices that made the unsuspecting native fairly dizzy 
with anticipation. For a while the little republic endulged in rosy 
visions of wealth, the humblest citizens would become millionaires, 
bamboo huts and 'dobe walls would be replaced by palaces of mar- 
ble. Alas for Central American enterprise! The natives gazed a 
moment on these busy preparations with a sort of wild surprise, 
then with a murmured "Manana" sank back in their hammocks to 
slumber and dream. 

Not so the scheming contractors, who "worked" the govern- 
ment for all it was worth — and more. A small army of men were 
employed and operations began on the northern division, while the 
attention of the country was centered on this scene of activity, the 
wiley agents of a syndicate of English Bankers were no less busy 
at the capitol negotiating a loan, by which the state became respon- 
sible to the amount of $27,000,000. This deal having been suc- 
cessfully accomplished, it suddenly dawned on the projectors that 
the plan of building a road across the mountains was not feasible at 



100 



A HoosiER IX Honduras. 



that time. The workmen wete laid off, "temporarily" with in- 
structions to be in readiness to report at a moments notice. A 
.[uarter of a century has passed and they are still waiting with that 
patience that is characteristic of the Spanish American. Mean- 
while the ardent advocates of the enterprise dissappeared, leaving 
thirty-six or thirty-seven miles of poorly constructed narrow gauge 
track as a slight compensation for the millions they carried away. 
Over this wretched remnant of a great "transcontinental railroad" 
toy cars are dragged by a toy locomotive, covering the distance 
from the port to San Pedro in from three to ten hours, according to 
the condition of the lame engine, and its native fireman. Trains 
do not arrive or depart at regular intervals, but are dispatched 




CHURCH SAN PEDRO. 

whenever a sufficient amount of freight has accumulated to war- 
rant such extravagance. So the restless traveler maj' have to wait 
one, two, or three days for a chance to risk his life on this, the 
worse bit of railroad in existence. The risk is not from reckless 
speed or danger of collisions or that the train ma^- jump the track, 
or from any of the usual accidents of railway travel — it is that you 
may die from starv^ation before reaching your destination, or be 
devoured bj^ mosquitoes during one of those half day stops in the 
midst of a swamp where the air is darkened by swarms of these 
persistent insects, or that 3^ou may be tempted to destro)^ one or 
two of the officials, or in the enthusiasm of the moment j'-ou might 
even sacrifice the conductor or a brakemau, and thus bring down 
the vengence of the law, which is administered in such a loose and 



A HoosiKR IN Honduras. 101 

partial manner that you would most likely be swiftly convicted and 
sentenced to serve thirty days as a first class passenger! 

We had all our traps carried over to the depot and paid for 
transportation at the rate of 1 1-2 cents per pound for the thirty-six 
miles, a rate just three times that charged by the Steamship Co., 
from New York, a distance of three thousand miles. The tariff 
seemed a trifle high at first, but when we struck the overland 
express and planked down twelve cents a pound on goods billed 
for Tegucigalpa, a distance of only 180 miles, or seven days 
journey by mule, you will readily understand why so common an 
article as beer commands 50 cents for a very small glass in the 
capitol city. However, it's not considered a wholesome beverage 
and some poor people are forced to drink water. 

In about two days a sufficient amount of freight had been 
gathered in to justify the making up of a train, and presently a lit- 
tle locomotive, guiltless of stack or "cow catcher," was brought 
forth and after much coughing, wheezing and sputtering, it was 
finally coaxed into making a start. Our train consisted of one 
coach, and a flat car, the latter for the accomodation of the bales of 
goods' destined for the interior, which were covered with a huge 
tarpaulin the former, an abandoned box car, had been converted 
to its present use by placing a plank seat on either side, length- 
wise of the coach, to strengthen the illusion a row of square 
openings had been cut in the sides, through which the mosquitos 
came in to cheer the weary passengers with their tuneful melodies 
—this elegant equipage was filled to the point of suffocation. The 
passengers were mostly natives, who were not lavishly dressed— 
men women and children , they carried all manner of bundles, every 
foot of space was occupied. We were packed like herrings m a box. 
Every one smoked, which added to the comfort of the trip. We 
made fine time at the start whizzing along at the rate of 12 miles 
an hour, but had to make a long stop at the "lagoon" for 
repairs and to take on sand to be used on the "grade." While 
waiting, we walked ahead a mile or two studying the scenery. 
At last the train overtook us. We scrambled to our places 
and sped on our way, plunging into the forest of cahune 
palms Here the tall trees met overhead, almost shutting 
out the light and the effect was like entering a tunnel. The smoke 
was stiffiing. On each side of the track were shallow pools of 



102 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 




water, stretching away into the 
gloomy shades of the wilder- 
ness, dead and glassy. Suddenly 
the train came to a stand. Every 
one was out in a moment. What 
was the cause of delay? It was 
hardly worth mentioning, the 
track had sunk in the mire and we must wait until it could be 
straightened up aud new ties procured. It was now that some 
of the party indulged in language that would scorch this page 
if transcribed. It is therefore omitted. 

Only those who have tarried in the midst of tropical swamps ^ 
can form an idea of the torture inflicted during those two hours by 
the swarms of stinging insects that literally filled the air. The 
natives squated on the tracks, smoking stolidly, their dull expres- 
sionless faces betrayed not the slightest emotion. When the mos- 
quitoes would accumulate to the depth of half an inch, they would 
slowly rub them off and silently wait for the next crop. 

Choloma is a way station consisting of a cluster of huts in the 
woods, but it boasts of a telegraph office, "telegrafo nacional" — as 
we expected to reach the capitol in the course of a few weeks we 
thought it proper to warn the citizens of the impending invasion, 
and at the same time experiment with tropical electricity, having 
been informed it was subject to the drowsy influence of the climate 
— we therefore prepared the following modest message, "Hotel 
American, Tegucipalpa, a party of hungry gringoes will reach your 
place in six weeks, please order dinner at once" — this was trans- 
lated and delivered to the operator who proceeded to play on the 
instrument with the ease of professional — click — click — clickat — 
tick — tack — clickety clack — clack — his action was admirable, his 
time perfect, the music ran smoothly along without a jar or break 
— certainly we had made sure of one square meal, with ample 
time for its preparation — months later, while stopping at the hotel 
in question the landlord handed us a "telegrafo" which he had 
just received, it was our request for an early dinner, it had been 
re-translated from the barbarous Spanish: "Some tengo hambre 
gringos will be come, want comida muches quick, como no ! 
beware, ahora luege," it was presented to the writer and is treas- 
ured as a curious example of electrical degeneration. Miss Anna 



A HoosiKR IN Honduras. 



103 



J. Somers, a bright young lady, of Indianapolis, recently returned 
from an excursion to San Pedro Sula, recalls an incident that 
occured at this station; while waiting for the inevitable repairs, 
she was unfortunate enough to catch a bit of cinder in her eye — 
she suffered intensely— all efforts to remove the particle only 
increased the pain — she was becoming greatly alarmed when a 
handsome young Spaniard approached, who with many apologies 
for the intrusion begged to be allowed to lend his assistance — under 
such circumstances she was only to glad to receive aid from any 
source — leading her to a seat he requested that she lean back clos- 
ing the well eye, very carefully he raised the lid of the other, in a 
moment he located the piece of grit, then suddenly stooping 'till 
his face touched her own^ he thrust his tongue in her eye — the 




MASON'S CONCKPTION OF A EARTHQUAKE. 



operation was over in an instant, the offensive substance was re- 
moved, and all pain ceased at once. While trying to think of the 
appropriate Spanish words to properly express her thanks, her 
friend withdrew, smiling and bowing until lost to view — when too 
late the word "gracias" came to her which she has since elabo- 
rated to "muches gracias, senor," by an odd co-incidence, one of 
Miss Somers young lady companions met with a similar mishap 
at this same station on their return trip — but the good looking 
specialist was^not to be found — was it altogether an accident? 

At last the'road was repaired, the train started slowly, cau- 
tiously, and for the rest of the way we averaged about four miles an 
hour. When we got through the swamp we struck the "grade." 




104 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

Some trees had fallen across the track. A stop of an hour was 
reciuired to remove these obstacles. Then began the ascent — puff 
_puff_puff. Two Indians were detailed to go ahead and sprinkle 
the rails with sand, but it seemed almost impossible for the crippled 
engine to do its work. The passengers dismounted and one good- 
natured fellow offered to help "push the thing along," but his ser- 
vices were politely declined, so we walked ahead stopping now and 
then to test the bananas that hung in tempting proximity to the 
road. At each of these plantations stacks of fruit were corded up 
much, as we see wood along some of our roads in the States. On 
its return the train would stop at these places and carry the produce 
to the port, where it would be re-stacked under long, low sheds, to 
await the steamer from New Orleans. 

In the course of an hour or ^^..— 
two the "grade" was overcome 
and we took our places once more 
in the coach. The engineer pulled 
the throttle to its widest extent, ^ 
the fireman piled coal and wood 
into the furnace until it glowed with a white heat. The 
ground was now solid, the track in fair condition and the 
last few minutes we attained a spe^d of 15 miles an hour, 
rushing into San Pedro with a wild scream that brought all 
the idlers of the village Lo the depot. Here we were met by a 
host of men and boys who insisted on carrying everything we had, 
regardless of our remonstrations, but we finally fought them off 
and made a bargain with a poor old fellow who possessed an 
ancient Mexican cart, to which was attached a team of the 
saddest looking oxen we ever beheld. For the consideration of 
two reals, he conveyed our luggage to the "Posado De Renaud," 
a small but comfortable hostelry. 

San Pedro is the onlj^ town between the coast and Tegucigalpa 
possessing a hotel, excepting the "American" at Comyagua. 

Beside the Renaud House, there is the "Hotel Americano," 
under the management of Mr. L,ouie Seifert, a German of progres- 
sive ideas. Here you could enjoy the luxur}- of a cool bath, to say 
nothing of iced water and other mild drinks. San Pedro shows 
many signs of improvement. The old houses are being replaced 
by modern frame structures. A firm of American carpenters, 
Messrs. Coleman & Barnes, having revolutionized the building 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 105 

^.usiness. The railroad, wretched as it is, serves to keep open com- 
munication with the world, and brings the newspapers every week, 
the result is an air of bustle and commotion quite out of keeping 
with the traditions of the country.* A rude system of water works 
supplies the town from a spring in the mountains. At an elevation 
of several hundred feet, a reservoir has been built from which 
pipes are laid on the surface of the ground and thus carried to var- 
ious convenient points, where public hydrants are placed, here 
you will always find a crowd of women with there water jars, 
patiently waiting their turn, the while smoking and chatting, pos- 
sibly discussing matters of dress, or lack of it. 

As in most other Central American towns, we find the male 
•children, under 10 or 12 years of age, quite unincumbered, so far 
as clothing is concerned and their appearance on the corners, or in 
the plaza, where groups are engaged in games of marble, or ball, 
attract the attention of the stranger. 

San Pedro is delightfully situated on a plain at the foot of a 
range of mountains, whose blue outlines are visible far out at sea 
and whose cloud-like forms we had often discussed from the deck 
of the Seagull. From that distance they looked very beautiful, 
the pale blue of the sunlit sides melting imperceptably into the vio- 
let shadows; sometimes at sunset their crests seemed tipped with 
gold, the effect being produced by the reflection of the yellow 
light from the rocky precipices. Again in the early morning they 
would loom up through the purple mist like shadows on the east- 
ern sky, changing every moment with the increasing light, but 
always like a vision, a dream, no suggestion of rocks and preci- 
pices and miles of wilderness, with foaming torrents that must be 
crossed as best we may — but now we are here, their hard reality 
becomes apparent. We can see the dark forests, the walls of rock, 
the path winding up the steep side like a yellow thread until quite 
lost among the pines. Almost daily their crests were obscured by 
masses of black clouds. From the midst of the dark shaddows 



*Since the above was written this famous road has been taken in hand 
by a company of Americans, who have practically rebuilt the portion con- 
necting Puerto Cortez and San Pedro, and continued the line as far as Pimiento, 
about sixty-one miles from the coast. Trains run up one day and down the 
next, making fairly good time. My informant also states that the pier has 
been reconstructed, and vessels now come alongside and transfer their load 
to the cars direct. 



106 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



dS 



niddy lightnings played and the rumble of the thunder could be 
plainly heard echoing from peak to peak. 

It was at this place that we first noticed the shelves in stores 
guarded by wires stretched along in front of them, at least all those 
containing goods of a breakable nature. We wondered at this at 
first, but soon learned the cause. We were now in a country sub- 
ject to frequent earthquake shocks, which would tumble glass or 
queensware to the floor, causing great loss and annoyance. Oc- 
casionally the shocks are so severe that buildings suffer and life 
itself is endangered by the sudden collapsing of the massive 'dobe 
walls, or falling of the heavy tile roofs. We used to think we 
would enjoy an earthquake and had looked forward to the time 
when we might experience one, but somehow when we arrived on 
_^^o the ground we lost all desire 

to investigate the phenom- 
ena. We were quite satis- 
fied with what we had read, 
and with the explanations 
of those who had made the 
subject a special study. 
But we were to have a real 
shake, and will say right 
~' '^^^^^^\0^^f<. here that the single exper- 

Wlf^^^^iM<^^^^^''^''^^^'^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^^ convinced us. 
^^!^^^^^^^h'^-'.^!X^ that there is nothing to be 

gained by an intimate ac- 
quaintance with an earth- 
quake; in fact, we know much less than we did before. We used 
to have well defined theories on the subject, we have none now — 
at least none worth advertising. 

There was no preliminary rumbling, or slight tremor — the 
shock came with the suddeness of an explosion — the crash of fall- 
ing crockery and tumbling furniture was appalling, to this was 
added the screams of women and children, as they rushed madly 
for doors or windows in a frantic effort to escape from under those 
awful roofs. The confusion and terror of that hoUr cannot 
be described — clocks struck out of time, bells clanged discordantly, 
nameless horror and hopeless despair was painted on every face — 
we were no exception to the rule — and whatever ideas we possessed 






POSADO de; Raynaud. 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 107 

'concerning cause and effect as applied to seismic disturbances left 
us to return to return no more — it was over in less than three min- 
utes — those brief moments comprised an age — the whole population 
fled to the plaza, where they fell, some on their faces, some on their 
knees and prayed — loudly, incoerently — some for forgiveness — 
others for immediate deliverance — the latter class seem to predomi- 
nate — very few seem troubled about their sins — their only thought 
was present safety — the sensation was peculiar it seemed as though 
the earth's crust was only about an inch thick and liable to break 
through at any moment — it quiverd under us like thin ice — how 
-longingly we gazed up into the clear blue sky and wished for wings, 
instead of feet — but there was no retreating — so we simply stood 
there as lightly as possible, and felt sorry — there were some strange 
.grinding sounds now, that may have come from the sky above, or 
the depths below, we did not attempt to locate them. We were 
scared — too badly scared to note accurately time or circumstance. 
One thought came to us as we listened trembling to the chorus of 
payers, that where being hurled heavenward, so as to speak, by 
tkat crowd of frightened beings, whose every day language was 
marked by a rich profusion of words of topical import. That 
:single thought was this: What an addition a small earthquake 
would be to an ordinary religious revival, what a wholesale con- 
version of souls would take place — souls long since dead to all 
the commonplace methods of ministers. When the solid earth 
^begins to roll like the sea, and tall trees bow their heads to 
the dust, and mysterious sounds fill the air, when birds flut- 
ter helplessly to the ground, and cattle stand with legs far apart, 
•eyes dilated with terror — then it is that ones early religious 
training asserts itself, strong men are seen to weep like children 
and cry aloud to heaven for protection — yes an earthquake is a 
wonderful stimulus to religious fervor. 

The next day the occurance was forgotten. No great damage 
had been done. Some old cracked walls showed wider seams, 
some dishes were broken, some clocks toppled off shelves and dam- 
aged. What seemed so terrible was but a slight disturbance, and 
the day following business resumed its normal conditions, the 
saloons were running as usual; the men who prayed so lustily a 
few hours since might now be' found in their accustomed haunts 
playing poker and decorating the surrounding territorj' with a 



108 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

dark browu fresco of tobacco juice and abandoned quids, while 
their conversation was adorned with the usual amount of invective 
— invective peculiar to the climate, rankly luxuriant like the vege- 
tation — dark, dank, dense. 

We stopped at this place several weeks, in fact we were 
forced to do so, as it was necessary to secure mules and mozos; the 
latter must be well posted on the roads and mountain passes. The 
first must be sound and true, we were delayed at every step b}^ 
the eternal "Manana." Tomorrow! Tomorrow! The native 
Hondurian has ten thousand excuses for delay. He only asks one 
day but usuall)^ succeeds in taken seven. They cannot understand 
wh}- anyone should be in haste. To hurry with these people is to 
be vulgar. In this respect the Hondurian is wonderfully like the 
Japanese, whose "Tadaima," translated "By and By" or "after a 
while," simply means an indefinite postponemont of whatever you 
.have on hand. "A little later." "another da)^" 

While the universal "Manana" of the Spaniard is represented 
exactly b}' the Japanese word ',Miyonichi" (tomorrow,) and is 
used with the same exasperating coolness. "Don't be in a hurry" 
says the Jap, "there W'ill be another da}-." Never do an5'thing to- 
day that can be put off till tomorrow," says the native of Hondur- 
us," because something might happen that w^ould make it unneces- 
sary and the labor would be lost," which -^vould be sad indeed. 
The people can bear the loss of time, mone}^ wife or child, with a 
heroic fortitude that is touching, but the thought of labor wasted 
breaks their hearts. 

While waiting we strolled about the place taking 
notes. By referring to my memorandum, I find under August 
first the following observation : "From the office window I can see 
a native woman at a wash tub. She is bare-headed and her uucon- 
fined raven locks fall below her waist, but she is not handsome. 
Her skin is the color of copper, her face has less expression than a 
board fence — and, to sum it up, she has no sense. If she had why 
would she stand there rubbing away for hours under the blistering 
August sun, when by moving her bench four feet — actually not an 
inch more-she would come within the broad shadow of a mango tree 
through whose dense foliage scarcely a ray of light can pass. 
Even her parrot shows his intelligence by perching among its cool- 
ing shadows, while a cat lies asleep at its foot. 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 109 

It is so with everything else. It is simply lack of intelligence 
among the masses of the inhabitants that makes the first discovered 
country of America the last to be settled and civilized. No other 
country in the world can boast of greater natural resources or clim- 
atic advantages, not only surpassingly beautiful to the eye, but 
possessing a deep, rich soil, capable of producing (according to 
altitude) every fruit known to the tropic or temperate zones, to say 
nothing of vegetables and cereals, while its mineral wealth is 
beyond computation. Those who have given the subject careful 
consideration declare that the state of Honduras is without doubt 
one of the richest countries in the world; but leaving these two 
great sources of wealth entirely out of our calculation, her native 
woods alone will more than pay the national debt. The whole 
story is told in three words, lack of sense. Right across the street 
a man is sawing wood. He has a good saw, such as every Ameri- 
can farmer owns. Can you immagine how he uses this convenient 
tool? He holds it between his knees and rubs the sticks up and 
down over the sharp teeth until he can break them. This is a fair 
illustration of the way thej'- do things down here. 

August 2. — Signs of improvement have been noted. Hon- 
duras is not without hope. At Truxillo three boys were discov- 
ered fighting over a game of marbles. At Puerto Cortez, a young- 
ster was seen throwing at a dog, and at San Pedro a progressive 
youth was found spinning a top in an alley. Only those who 
have seen the death like stupor that prevails among the smaller 
children, can appreciate these slight evidences of the awakening 
of natural instincts among members of the rising generation. 

That these three examples of 5^outhful enterprise occured at 
points widely separated, is a hopeful indication. This shows that 
the influence is not confined to one locality but is in the air. 
When you see the children of a nation waking up — look out!" 




PRKPARING TO MOUNT 



CHAPTER VII. 



SERVICES OF MOSES AND AARON SECURED — FINAE ARRANGEMENTS 
FOR THE OVERLAND TRIP — THE START — AMONG THE 

MOUNTx\INS — DISERTATION ON HAMMOCKS 

SANTA CRUZE AND ITS MINES — BEAUTIFUL 
SCENERY — PRIMITIVE VILLAGES. 

San Pedro ooutains no 
buildings of importance, an 
old diurch, of plainest pat- 
tern — its plastered walls 
cracked and broken, bearing 
on their rough surface the 
record of earthquakes and 
revolutions for two genera- 
tions or more — a new cabildo 
entirely too modern to be 
graceful or picturesque, and 
altogether out of harmony 
with its surroundings. 

But the town is not with- 
out pleasant features, one of 
these, is found in the streams 
of clear water that cross the 

village from east to west, at intervals of two or three hundred 
yards, one of them ran through the lot within a few feet of the 
dining room, and its cheerful music added not a little to the pleas- 
ure of the guest stopping at the Posado de Renaud. 

The servant question now demanded immediate settlement — 
we must have guides or mozos, and they must be expert packers, 
and besides know every path leading through that stretch of moun- 
tain wilderness that extends for leauges to the southward. 

We therefore began the search, and for some time met with 
little encouragement, very few cared to take so long a trip — they 
objected to going more than a dozen leagues, and few had ever 
been farther away from their homes — wages was no object, as they 




HIGH bridge;. 



112 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

could live without work — so why engage in toilsome marches, for 
the paltry consideration of a few silver dollars ? Besides it meant 
separation from their families for an indefinite period — we found 
these people strongly attached to their homes, and disinclined to 
engage in au}^ enterprise that would carry them beyond the small 
circle of their dailj^ experience — w^hich meant a little work with 
much leisure for music, cigarettes, and hours in the restful ham- 
mock — happy natives, would that the world might know some- 
thing of the contentment that fills their peaceful days — every one 
had some valid excuse to offer and we were almost discouraged, 
when we ran across a couple of wild fellows from the department 
of Olaucho, of which it has been said, "Olancho, ancho para 
intrar, angosta para salir" (easy to enter, hard to leave.) In fact 
this department is noted for its desperadoes and general lawlessness 
— these hardy mountaineers, young and strong, were ready for any 
kind of adventure, and expressed a desire to see the pacific coast — 
they were a murderous looking pair, but we promptly engaged 
them — they were tall and handsome, but their black eyes flashed 
with a peculiar fire — they were very dark, with shocks of hair 
trimmed after a fashion peculiar to the country, short 
behind, long in front, this sable foretop hanging low over their 
foreheads, gave them a particularly sinister expression — each man 
was armed with a revolver and a long machete, recentl}' ground 
and polished, these convenient tools were supported by a stout belt 
of leather; they wore broad sombr^os, red shirts, blue trousers, 
rolled to their knees — they were evidently looked upon as "bad 
men" by the villagers, who regarded all Olanchans with suspicion 
if not with fear — but what we admired most about these rufhans 
was their readiness — they invented no excuses for delay — and 
never so much as murmered "Manana," but were ready to start at 
any moment, and to prove their willingness, they set out at once to 
hunt up animals and we were astonished at their success. The 
very next day they appeared before the posadj) with a train of four- 
teen mules, which they had taken possession of, telling the 
owners to come around at a certain hour and get their money. 
They were the most successful stock buyers we had ever met and 
we were delighted with their direct business methods. We noticed 
that they handled their weapons very carelessly and whenever the 
owner of a mule was disposed to ask an exorbitant price, their fin- 



A HoosiKR IN Honduras. 



113 



gers played nervously over the triggers of those huge revolvers in 
a way that somehow seemed to end the controversy, and the dealer 
appeared glad to close the contract and cheerfully signed a receipt 
in full. The price of sound riding mules at that time was $100 and 
good packs $75 to $80. One was secured at $60, the reduction being 
made on account of age. The more we saw of these fellows the better 
we liked them. They carried long unpronounceable Indian names, 
which we could never learn so we called them simply Moses and 
Aaron, not that they in in the least resembled those famous char- 
acters, but because the names were easy to call and remember. 
They seemed pleased with the titles which they evidently consid- 
ered as a special mark of respect or honor, the equivalent of Gene- 
ral, Colonel, Doctor or Professor. Besides being an expert packer, 
Aaron had other accomplishments that he was very proud of, he 
could write and sketch, and besides understood English — or 
thought he did — true his language was rather disjointed at times, 
and his chirography somewhat faulty according to the spencerian 
standard, nevertheless his skill in this direction was quite remark- 
able, when his opportunities were considered — if his vocabulary was 
not extensive, he used his stock to the best advantage, as the 
reader will see b}'^ the examples presented herewith. 

We consider sketch 
number one much the best, 
the lines are drawn with 
confidence, there is no hesi- 
tation, no faltering, and if 
the artist betra3^s his ignor- 
ance of anatomy, he is not 
troubled on that account; 
he has certainly succeeded 
in catching the spirit of 
Pizarro, and after all that's 
the main thing — we don't 
know who the excited in- 
dividual in the distance is 
intended to represent, but 
if it's meant for pizarro's 
owner it's a mean slander 
that's all — by "front pros- ^^ , ^,,r-r^ 

■' ^ No. 1— MULE. 




114 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

pect" Aaron means simply a front view. 

Sketch number two is not as strong as number one, he has 
given to much attention to detail, the building in the distance is a 
.school house and the teacher has dismissed the pupils in order that 
they may watch the "Gringo" learn to ride — the party at the 
extreme right is supposed to be the author of these remincinces — 
the position is neither graceful nor dignified and is hereby 
branded a base libel — Aaron will do more sketching for us ! 

Bills of sale having been duly made out and receipted, the 
boys at once began the packing process. Some of the animals 
were young and frisky and did not take kindly to the operation. 
One particularly vicious colt rolled and kicked until he scattered 
his load in every direction. This exhibition attracted a large 
crowd of idlers who observed the proceedings with interest. The 
performance was not particularly reassuring to the writer, who 
looked forward to the hour of mounting one of those wild beasts, 
with a good deal of trepidation, and he remembers with what solic- 
itude he approached the particular animal set apart for his use. 

At last the packing was completed and Moses and Aaron, with 
a faithful servant, Santiago, set off with the train, one day in 
advance of the principals. This arrangement was made partly to 
allow us time to settle up our business in the town and partly that 
we might enjoy our first mountain ride undisturbed by the clatter 
of the muleteers, besides our animals, with no burdens but their 
riders, would make much better time than the "cargoes," there- 
fore we would easily overtake the train sometime next da5^ 

It was here that we had our hammocks made, and laid in all 
those articles essential to comfort on a long journe}^ through an 
almost un-inhabited wilderness. Huge Mexican saddles were pro- 
cured with holsters attached for the pistols, that every one is expected 
to carry; leggins and savage spurs of shining brass, huge leghorn 
sombreros decorated with wide ribbons, these were secured by a 
stout cord tied to our belts to prevent them from going over the moun- 
tains when struck by the playful breezes that lurk among those 
lofty passes among the clouds. 

Everything must come to an end, and so our stay in this pleas- 
ant village. The time had arrived when I must mount that mule. 
Only those who have never been on a horse's back can 
realize with what caution I now approached the sleep}- looking 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 115 

creature tied up in the rear of the hotel. I felt strangely 
cramped and awkward, with the tight fitting leggings and jingling 
spurs, and the knowledge that my good friend, Mrs. Renaud, had 
marshalled the entire female force in the kitchen to witness our 
departure, did not add to my ease; besides these young ladies, 
whom I knew were enchanging many nods and winks behind the 
lattice, a half dozen old travelers were ranged around the yard 
to say good bye, or wish us "God speed." I would willingly have 
dispensed with these pleasant ceremonies and will here acknow- 
ledge that I offered a boy $2.00 to lead the mule a mile out of the 
town and tie it to a tree where it might easily be found, but he refused. 
So, as there was no other way, I approached the beast with as great 
a show of assurance as I could assume, and throwing the rein over 
my arm placed my hand on the pummel of the saddle, my left foot 
in the stirrup and made a wild leap, landing squarely on the ani- 
mal's back the first time. The mule exhibited some signs of 
surprise and walked around the inclosure once or twice on his hind 
feet, pawing the air, then he suddenly reversed his tactics and 
made the circle a couple times on his fore feet, his heels playing 
with the clouds. I felt that my title to the exalted position I now 
enjoyed was very slim indeed. However, the wild screams of men 
and maids added not little to my determination to "stay with him," 
and after a ten minute struggle the old fellow seemed perfectly sat- 
isfied that his rider had legal rights that could not be disputed, 
and we started on our journey, our ears filled with the applause of 
the multitude. 

From his bold and chivalrous spirit, his untiring energy and 
love of enterprise, I named my newly acquired property, Pizarro. 
As a conqueror he ranks well with his illustrious predecessor. 

It is wonderful how soon one becomes attached to the dumb 
servant who toils along so patiently, carrying the rider in safety 
over paths that one would hardly attempt on foot. 

In this country the traveler steps out of the village into the 
wilderness. One is struck by the absence of cultivated fields 
— only the "forest pruneval", the huge trees were overhung with 
vines or overgrown with air plants of which many varieties 
abound. Some orchids of rare beauty were noted in this neigh- 
borhood. 

The path, for the most part onl}^ wide enough for a single 



116 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

rider, followed a zigzag course, each "tack" carr3dng us a little 
nearer to the summit of the mountain. The tall trees met over our 
heads and the silence and gloom of this wilderness was impressive. 
There was no hum of insects, no bird music — only the melancholy 
sighing of the wind as it swayed the tops of the trees. Great banners 
of Spanish moss of a silvery gray color depended from the branches. 
Now- and then a flock of green parrots would cross our path, and 
once we saw a pair of maccaws. These most brilliant of tropical 
birds, like their green coated cousins, are quite devoid of melod}', 
though their voices are coarser and their whole life seems to be 
passed in an endless quarrel. 

We arrived at the "cumbre" or summit about noon, where we 
stopped for lunch and to look back over the country which lay 

^^^moji^^^^^ ^itjeLook. 







No. 2— MUI^K. 



below, us like a map. The village of San Pedro was plainly visi- 
ble. Its red tiled roof-s and white washed walls gleaming prettity 
out of the sea of green that surrounded it like an ocean. With this 
single exception, the forest was unbroken. Far away to the right 
a faint streak of silvery brightness betrayed the presence of the 
Ulua, but most distant of all, and rising against the horizon like a 
dark blue wall, was the Gulf of Mexico", fully fort}" miles awa}'. 
After an hours rest we continued our journey. We were now 
descending into the valley of the chamelecon and found the road 
rougher and more difficult. My affection for Pizarro increased per- 
ceptably. We rounded some curves where a false step would have 
sent us tumbling hundreds of feet over rocky precipices. Again 
we descended declivities that would have discouraged a squirrel ^ 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 117 

but our good mules carefully measured each step, avoiding stone or 
stick, never placing a foot until perfectly satisfied that it would not 
slip. At one place we crossed a deep ravine on a log about 18 
inches wide, the top of which had been flattened by hewing away 
the rough bark. Far below a mountain torrent roared among the 
rocks. The scene was wild and beautiful but I must acknowledge 
that one rider took little interest in its charms while swinging on 
that frail bridge. Shortly after this we found ourselves in a valley 
with broad openings, the grass responding to the recent rains, was 
just assuming a delicate shade of green, giving the country a parklike 
appearance. Clumps of oak, with wide spreading branches were scat- 
tered over the plain, a clear stream flowed peacefully betv^^een 
verdant banks. Here and there we noted isolated piles of rocks 
overgrown with vines many of them of rich flowering varieties. 
Between the trees, lovely vistas stretched away to where the moun- 
tains rose dimly, a wall of blue flecked by the slowly moving 
shadows of clouds that begin to gather shortly after noon, but in 
all its wide extent, not a cottage was seen, not a garden plot, not a 
sign of human activity. In places the gnarled and twisted oaks 
took the form of old apple trees and so perfect was the illusion that 
we could not help looking for the farm house which we felt sure must 
be somewhere near. Here we heard the familiar whistle of the 
"Bobwhite," clear and shrill as in the orchards of Indiana. 
Night fell suddenly while we were yet wandering in this plain, 
where scarcely a trace of any path could be found. Being entirely 
unacquainted with the road, we dropped the reins and trusted our- 
selves to the guidance of our enterprising beasts, whose early 
niorning exhibition had attracted so much attention. Forty miles 
over rough mountain passes seemed to have a quieting effect, and 
the general now plodded along sedately enough. To make it 
worse, heavy clouds overspread the sky, the darkness became 
Intense, occasinal flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder 
among the distant peaks added to the interest of the hour. About 
9 P. M. we discovered lights ahead and we knew that we were 
approaching the hamlet of Santa Cruz, where we expected to 
overtake Moses and Aron with their train, and there we found 
them, comfortably swinging in their hammocks under the balcony 
of the chief house of the village, for in this country every 
home is open to the stranger. Both men were up in a moment 



118 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

aud our mules quickly stripped of saddles and bridles were turned 
loose to graze, while the good lady of the house busied herself pre- 
paring a supper of tortillas and eggs, with the added luxury of 
"cafe con leche." Although the fare was plain and the service sim- 
ple, I am sure a meal was never enjoyed more. Having disposed 
of everything in sight, we found our hammocks already swung, 
and fell into them with little ceremony and it is safe to say that 
costly couch never brought sweeter repose. So charmed were we 
with our first day's ride and first night's rest, that the writer 
determined to deliver a lecture on hammocks, but finding no 
opportunity, he wrote an article for the Indianapolis Journal which is 
clipped for this occasion. This was done several months after my 




A SLIGHT incline;. 

return from Honduras. In fact, I had been home long enough to 
forgets the discomforts of the trip, and only retained the pleas- 
ant features, and it is not reproduced here for any value it may 
possess in a scientific way, but simply to fill up, to ease the con- 
science of the writer and give him that comfortable feeling that 
one always has when they know they have given full measure 
even if the goods are below the standard. 

ABOUT HAMMOCKS. 

"Just now, while residents of the Northern States find them- 
selves either trudging through wastes of snow or splashing through 
rivers of slush, seems a good time to take up the study of the ham- 
mock as a mild dissipation. Hanging in the corner there, is a 
relic of other days. True, it is slightly torn and somewhat 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 119 

stained by the storms and rough usage that are a part of camp 
life; still it recalls vividly the scenes among which it has swung — 
now on the mountain height, overlooking miles and niles of sunny 
landscape, now in deep gorges, echoing the wild music of some 
unnamed waterfall, now on the deck of some ocean racer, now on 
shore — always our inseparable companion and unfailing friend. 

Probably a small proportion of the millions who daily recline 
in this restful contrivance have any idea of its origin. The name 
itself suggests a world of romance, and if we will trace its history 
we must leave the busy bustling times in which we live and go 
back through four centuries — back to the dreamy days of the Span- 
ish conquest, days around which the purple mists of years have 
gathered, half concealing the actors in a sort of rosy haze — actors 
whose daring audacity and reckless bravery has never been 
excelled in the world's history, perhaps; back to the days of 
chivalry, when lovely ladies were most opportunely locked up in 
dismal towers to wait, sadly but hopefully, for the gallant knight 
in flashing armor who somehow always came to the rescue just in 
time to save the beautiful prisoner and carry her off as a slight reward 
for his timely service; back to the days of Columbus and his 
intrepid followers, for to this enterprising genius of the fifteenth 
century, mankind is indebted not only for the discovery of a new 
world, but for the invention of a new word, for he was the first to 
give it a place in the Spanish vocabulary by employing it in one of 
his glowing reports to his royal patrons, in which he describes the 
"hammaca" as one of the articles manufactured by the natives of 
the newly discovered islands, little dreaming that the rude "sleep- 
ing net" would force its way to the remotest corners of the earth, 
and the name would be pronounced by thousands who might 
never hear of its illustrious discoverer, for it is a fact that a large 
proportion of the inhabitants of tropical countries have never 
heard the name of the bold navigator of the Western seas. 

It is uncertain whether the Indian word which the Spaniards 
adopted in the above form, referred to the article itself or the 
material from which it was made, or the manner of its use, or — 
who can deny it? — to the name of the inventor ! One thing, how- 
ever, is very certain: the Spaniards found it admirably adapted to 
their languid habits, and from them its use rapidly extended to 
other nations, until at the present time this delightful device is 



120 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

found in every land and is alike the solace of prince and peasant. 
In its restful meshes swing the high and the low, rich and poor, . 
christian and pagan, old and young; in its enticing folds lovers are 
gently swayed to the music of their young dreams, or children, 
charmed into forgetfulnevSs, slumber sweetly. 

To the writer the name has a peculiar charm, and he never 
sees one without being carried back, as on invisible wings, to a 
certain island in the sunny sea, where for months it formed his 
onl}^ couch, and pictures of tropical luxuriance rise before him; 
again he hears the murmur of the wind among the palms, between 
which, in the distance, the blue sea is sparkling in the bright sun- 
light — memories of an endless round of summer days passed in 
most delicious idleness, in which to swing and dream was toil 
enough — a few brief months when he escaped the tyranny of the 
"barbarous pen" and ceased for a while to "scrawl strange words" 
for the "dregs of men" — a time when to read was wrong, to write 
was worse, and his whole business was to do nothing, simply to 
relax every muscle, rest every overtaxed nerve; to lie as one in a 
trance, with eyes half closed, giving up every sense to repose; to 
let fancy run wild and feel under no obligation to make prisoners 
of his thoughts for the amusement of some distant reader, who 
would not so much as thank one for the tiresome task; simply to 
live without a thought for the morrow, cooled by the fragrant 
breeze, lulled by the song of strange birds, or the low, rhythmic 
beat of the surf on the distant bar — every desire anticipated, every 
sense satisfied — a land of beauty, of sunshine, of contentment — 
land of fruits and flowers, of love and music — land of the hammock! 

And so it happens that the simple invention that delights the 
world to-day had its origin in the brain of some unlettered savage, 
ages before Columbus was born; while yet the sovereigns of cul- 
tured Europe reclined on clumsy divans, or rested their royal per- 
sons in most uneasy chairs, these free sons of the forest where 
swinging in luxurious ease, rocked to sleep by the winds to the 
music of the restless waves that quarreled mildly with the coral 
reefs that lined the shore. But the "hammac" or "hammaca," as 
the Spaniards called it, was designed for utility first, pleasure after- 
wards, it was the outgrowth of necessity, for a country possessing 
every charm that the mind can conceive must needs have some 
opposing features, and these were found in this happy region in 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



121 



the form of poisonous insects of many varieties, including scor- 
pions, centipedes, tarantulas and other equally interesting species, 
which could only be eluded by swinging clear of the earth. There 
is little doubt the idea was first suggested by the matted vines 
stretched from tree to tree, like great cables, over which the mon- 
keys passed, or stopped to swing, the while screaming out a fierce 
challenge to some imaginary rival. 

During our extended trip through the mountains of Guate- 
mala and neighboring states the writer had many occasions to 




DOWN grade;. 



thank the originator of the hammock for the security he enjoyed 
while traveling through a country overrun with insect pests, to 
say nothing of the serpents that were occasionally seen in the early 
light gliding away from the camp, to which they had been 
attracted by the enticing odors sent abroad by our native cook, no 
doubt — all of which would have rendered sleeping on the ground 
extremely disagreeable, if not dangerous. In these countries the 
hammock forms a necessary part of every traveler's outfit, and he 
might as well omit saddle, blankets, leggins and spurs, all of 
which he might possible get along without, but the hammock — 
never. 



122 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

But do not take them with you when starting from the north, for 
the natives will only laugh at you for your trouble, and with good 
reason, for the pretty toys sold in the States would be of little 
value for actual service on a rough mountain journey, where the 
roads are but bridle paths, often leading through thorny thickets or 
between walls of rock barely wide enough for the passage of your 
mule, which offers the only means of transportation in those primi- 
tive countries. On the occassion referred to the writer and his com- 
panion had their hammocks made at the beginning of the over- 
laud journey by a native of wide experience in this line, and to his 
skill and thorough work we owed much during the months that 
followed. These swinging beds were made of heavy sail cloth 
strongly sewed, and were about twenty feet long and six feet wide 
in the middle, allowing the occupant to lie directly across, 
instead of lengthwise, thus assuring a degree of comfort impossible 
to attain in the narrow net with which most of us are familiar. 
The Mozos will hang these in five minutes and take them down 
in less time, rolling them up neatly with blankets enclosed, after 
which thej^ are carefully strapped to the back of the saddles, and 
you are ready to move. 

Delightful as the hammock is for an afternoon siesta, or a half 
hour's swing, it becomes very tiresome when occupied night after 
nio"ht for sleeping purposes, and if the writer of these remini- 
scences, would unflinchingly acknowledge the "truth, the whole 
truth, and nothing but the truth," he would tell you that one of 
the happiest hours of his life was when he beheld from the summit 
of a lofty pass the white walls of a city, known to possess beds of 
o-ood old-fashioned pattern. But the object of this paper is to 
remind the reader of tha humble origin of the swing which he, or 
she, is enjoying at this very moment, rather than to call attention 
to its flaws or find fault with its construction, and whether it be 
the coarse net of the common sailor or the silken tangle of 
the prince, both should remember that the pleasure they may 
derive from its use is due to the intelligence of a dusky hero whose 
name and race have perished, but whose fame this article was 
written to perpetuate, for which honor alone, methinks, it were 
worth his while to have lived. ' ' 

We stopped at Santa Cruz a few hours to look over a mining 
plant. A company of French capitalists, socalled had begun oper- 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



123 



ations at this place about two years before our visit, and at enormous 
expense, erected mills for reducing the ore. Every modern con- 
trivance had been introduced, all the ponderous machinery had 
been dragged over the mountains, months were occupied in the 
transportation of the powerful engines and massive boilers. At 
last everything was complete, and for a few weeks the village lis- 
tened with astonishment to the thunder of the stamps and looked 
with awe upon the black cloud of smoke that hung over the busy 
place. Wonderful stories of wealth were carried back to France, 
and shares rose rapidly. When the last notch had been reached, 
it was discovered that the ore would not pay the expense of reduc- 
tion, and the mine was suddenly abandoned. The managers of 




NATIVE POTTERY, PICKED UP AT AGUA SALAD A. 



the scheme, who had been living like lords, at the expense of the 
distant stockholders, disappeared and the whole outfit was left to 
the mercy of the elements. Already the moss had begun to accum- 
late on the roof and the contemplative buzzard rested on the stack 
where lately sulphurous clouds arose. Inside we found the bats 
in possession. Instead of the busy hum of industry, our ears 
were assailed by the rustling wings of these dismal tenents, 
, and the ominous croaking of frogs that swarmed in the waterway. 
It was a sad and touching sight. We knew that some innocent 
victims far away in sunny France had paid for all this folly. More 



124 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

than likely, hard working men and women, who in their anxiety 
to save a trifle for old age, had been lured into this investment by 
designing schemers, who had planned the failure before they left 
their native shores. There seems to be a wonderful fascination in 
far-away investments. Every day we find people sending to some 
distant dealer for goods that could be bought cheaper right at 
home, with every opportunity for examination. It is the element 
of uncertainty — the gambling instinct. Something great has been 
promised, and we will try a "chance," much as we go into lot- 
teries and all manners of games that incur risk. There is an unde- 
niable charm in the risk — as most of us know. But what have we 
to do with philosophy, with all the beauty of the tropical wilder- 
ness about us? Moses and Aaron and the train are miles ahead, 
we will follow: Each day is a repetition with a change of scene. 
Now toiling up the steep sides of mountains, now picking our 
way along the rockj^ bed of some mountain stream, now ford- 
ing foaming torrents, here and there coming across the 
hut of a native squatter, and at long intervals passing through 
some little hamlet, stopping at night in the cabildos, or 
town house, which are always open to the traveler. These build- 
ings are usually found on the central plaza and are regarded as 
common property. On arriving at a village, we immediately take 
possession of this public house, or such portions as are not already 
occupied. The Mozos swing the hammocks and build a fire on the 
earthern floor, then start on a canvass of the village for provis- 
ions, tortillas, frijoles, eggs, coffee, fruit, anything in fact that can 
be procured. To these supplies we added from our stock of tinned 
o-oods and fared very well. When the various stores had been 
o-athered in, Moses, who took the lead in such matters, would pro- 
ceed to make the coffee, warm the tortillas and boil the eggs (pro- 
viding they had been fortunate enough to secure any.) Mean- 
while we spread our blankets around the cheerful blaze, that now- 
illuminated the darkest corners of the windowless room. Supper 
over, we take a stroll around the village, stopping here and there 
to chat with the natives whom we found socially inclined and 
fond of gossip. Some of the young men and women were almost 
handsome. A few of the latter were very attractive indeed. 
Their very moderate costumes being arranged to display their 
charms to the best advantage. Their glossy black hair, carefully 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 125 

brushed, was sometimes loosely coiled but mostly hung in a luxur- 
iant braid tied at the end with a bit of bright ribbon. They also 
knew how to place a rose or other flower to the best advantage, 
and were by no means ignorant of the arts of the modern coquet. 

After sunset the inhabitants would be seen flitting from house 
to house, each carrying a blazing pine stick to light the way. The 
eflect of these swiftly passing lights is striking and adds not a lit- 
tle to the picturesqueness of the scene. The interior of the dwell- 
ings are illuminated in the same manner and the writer has penned 
many a note and finished many a sketch, by the flickering light of 
these same knots. 

In these primitive villages there are no rich or poor, 
no high or low, ever3'one owns some kind of a musical instrument, 
the guitar being the general favorite though accordians, harps and 




^A^'Oi^y^/ \^it^:^^5i!l?^"^^^' 



violins are common, and among the pleasantest memories of 
this trip are those which recall the simple melodies of the native 
musicians. Their performance was doubtless crude, from an artis- 
tic standpoint, but I must confess, I have seldom heard anything 
more inspiring than some of those Spanish songs ringing out on 
the still night air, to the accompaniment of the harp or guitar. 
The language itself is musical and a certain touch of melancholly 
ran through them all that was very touching indeed. 

About 9 o'clock we returned to the cabildo and sought our 
hammocks, where we would swing and smoke and tell yarns until 
one by one we gave way to the gentle influence of the drowsy god, 
and with our ears filled with the melody that comes faintl}^ across 
the plaza, we glide imperceptable into the land of dreams. 

Thus we continued on our way, making an average of five 
or six leagues in ten hours, sometimes stopping over a daj^ or two 
to rest and sketch. We were always treated with the greatest 



126 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

kindness by the villagers. In some places we visited the native 
vSchools, in others we stopped to watch the women work on the 
panama hats, which require a great degree of skill in the weaving 
as well as in the preparation of the grass, which must be cut at a 
certain stage and cured by a certain method, which retains all the 
toughness and flexibility of the green product, but at the same 
time bleaches the long slim leaves to a snowy whiteness. 

These hats have a world wide reputation and will last a life 
time. They are so closely woven that they will hold water and 
are so flexible that they can be tightly rolled and packed away for 
months without injury. They are sold at various prices, accord- 
ing to the quality of material used, and care put in the work. 
The cheapest we could find being $1.50 and from that up to $12.00. 

The $1.50 hat requires a good solid week of constant work, 
while the finer grades will take from two to six weeks — we were 
told. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

A P]LBASANT SURPRISE — COI.INKS AND A WEDDING — DRINK THE 

BRIDES HEAIvTH AND I,OOSE OUR OWN — BEAUTIPUI, DAYS 

ON THE ROAD — SANTA BARBARA — HOME OP THE 

PRESIDENT — IvOSS OP MOSES AND AARON. 

Perhaps no better description of this country could be given 
than that contained in the pages of our old memorandum book that 
has already been called into service so frequently — and as the sole 
object of this work is to describe scenery and incidents of travel in 
a primitive land, the reader will excuse the introduction of these 
rough notes. 

"Pin^lejo — 9:30 p. m. After a ride of four hours we arrived at 
this place. Owing to the awful slowness of the Mozos (who evi- 








eve;ning bklls. 



dently had formed a strong attachment for some of the dusky 
beauties at I^a Pita) it was four o'clock before we left that hamlet. 
Scenery grand, much of the way through natural parks, the cactus 
now appeared in great variety, some beautiful flowering trees 
twenty feet in height. From the top of a mountain we had a mag- 



128 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

nificient view just as the sun was sinking; far below us the wide, 
rich plains stretched away for miles until finally walled in b_v dis- 
tant ranges of mountains, piled one above another until the high- 
est was lost among the clouds, but in all that wide expanse not a 
village was to be seen, not a cultivated field, not a sign of human 
activity. Often we ride for leagues along the "Camino Real" 
without seeing a hut or meeting a soul. 

As usual Moses and Aaron had taken possession of the best 
house in the village and on our arrival we found supper waiting. 
An elegant meal lay on a white cloth with plates, knives and 
spoons ! It was like a dream. We were astonished, and with 
good reason — but we were still more surprised, and pleased not a 
little when we learned that we we enjoying the hospitality of Dr. 
Bogran and famil3^ The doctor is a brother of the President and 
one of the wealthiest and most influential citizens of the republic. 
We had been riding five whole days through his territor}- Aaron 
informed us. Mrs. Bogran and her charming daughters proved 
themselves royal entertainers and with music and mirth the even- 
ing passed all to swiftly. This gives an idea of the heart}- whole- 
souled character of these people. They insisted that we should 
stop and rest a day, but we declined the kind invitation and 
parted with regret — on our part. 

August 11. — About 3 p. M. we met a certain Senior Salvador 
Paredis, with w^hom my traveling companion had stopped on his 
last trip to the capitol, and, although on his waj'^ to Belize, he in- 
sisted that we should make his house our headquarters during our 
stay in the village, which was only about a league ahead. So it 
happens that we are again located in the largest and finest place in 
the town, Senor Salvador being a prosperous merchant and grower 
of coffee. When we approached this house I w^as somewhat sur- 
prised to see the mozos lead the mules in the front door. We fol- 
lowed without dismounting, and passed through a store room into 
a court yard where we were met by the Senora and several mem- 
bers of the family. They seemed genuinely glad to see us. At 
this place we saw for the first time the curassaw, or native wild tur- 
key, in a state of domestication these handsome birds are almost as 
large as their northern cousins, and are greatly esteemed for the 
table, consequently the native hunters have almost exterminated 
them, and the bird is now rarely met with except in poultry yards, 
where it seems to feel perfectly at home. 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



129 



lyike most villages, this has no hotel but every house is open 
to the stranger. A boy is just now preparing coffee for our dinner. 
He has a large wooden block hollowed out like a mortar. In 
addition to that he is armed with a heavy pestle. With these 
crude tools he will shell out enough for two or three meals. From 
here we can see a number of coffee plantations on the slopes of the 
mountains. 

August 12. — ^Just passed a train of 24 mules laden with coffee, 
two huge sacks to each beast, they were bound for San Pedro. 
This shipment was destined for the U. S. Market. Much the 
larger portion of the crop finds its way to Kngland, France and 
Germany. The climate of Santa Barbara seems especially adapted 
to the successful cultivation of coffee, and the industry is rapidly 
extending. The coffee of this district enjoys so great a reputation 
in London that a very small proportion finds its way to the states ; 
however an occassional consignment is shipped to New York by 
some intrepid trader, whose reward for his bravery is increased 




reputation and profits, as this product rivals the finest Arabian 
beans; while experts declare its flavor to excel that of the best 
eastern brands. 

One can hardly immagine a prettier sight than a well kept cof- 
fee plantation. The trees, which are planted in long straight rows, 
are carefully pruned to a height of about eight feet, thus enabling 
the pickers to reach the topmost branches from a low stool. The 
glossy leaves are bright green, the flowers white as snow, diffuse a 
delightful odor. Where the climate is favorable the trees yield 



130 A HoosiER IN Honduras, 

their first crop the third year from planting, so that its cultivation- 
offers a tempting field to investors, and it is not surprising that a 
large amount of American capital has been drawn this way. How- 
ever, the largest proportion of these pioneers, have located in Nic- 
aragua which offers better shipping facilities, if not a more stable 
government. 

As the tree flowers from seven to nine months, the fruit ripena 
very unequally, for this reason the crop is gathered semi-annually, 
and in some cases, three times a year. If the tree is handsome 
when in full bloom it is no less so when covered with the deep 
crimson berries, which remind one somewhat of cherries, though 
they are larger and oblong, hanging in clusters. 

The tree flourishes best at an elevation of 1000 to 4000 feet, 
with a moist climate, and an average temperature of about 70 de 
grees. These conditions prevail in this district, which is in fact 
the ideal coffee region of America. Only two things afe necessary 
to the development of the industry in Honduras, the first is a gov- 
ernment that will enjoy the confidence of prospective investors, the 
second, the completion of the long contemplated railroad from 
Puerto Cortez to the pacific, this would give a port on either coast, 
with better facilities for speedy transportation than are now, en- 
joyed by any of the smaller republics, and would insure a large 
and every way desirable class of emigrants. 

August 13. — We found use for our "slickers" to-day, being 
caught in a sudden shower, but thanks to these huge water proof 
coats, we did not get wet. A slicker to be of use in a trip like this 
must be large enough to cover saddle, blankets and all. Ours 
answered every requirement. They are made of two thicknesses. 
of heavy muslin, thoroughly saturated with fish oil, are of a bright 
yellow color and shine as though varnished. The}'' are not frag- 
rant, but turn water like glass. 

August 14. — Have just stopped a few minutes to note a flock 
of buzzards that are so tame that one can approach within six feet 
before they will move, then they shamble off awkwardly, and 
if closely pursued will fly a few feet rising with considerable effort,, 
giving a grunt of dissatisfaction. When they alight they have ta 
run a few steps to get their balance. They are very clumsy on 
the ground, but once in the air their flight is most graceful. We 
often see large numbers at an immense height, describing huge 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



131 • 



circles, often disappearing in the clouds, then reappearing far 
above, mere black specks against the deep blue. It is against the 
law to shoot these birds. First offense $25.00 fine; second offense 
fine and imprisonment: third, death I presume, though I have no 
authority for the assumption; however, it is a righteous law, for if 
it were not for the services of these industrious animals the poor 
natives would have to bury their dead mules, cows etc., which 
would require an amount of exertion quite unbecoming a Hondur- 
anian. 

August 15. — We are the guests of Senor Jose Galindo. His 
house consists of four poles set in the ground with a high sloping 
roof of palm leaves. The sides are open to allow ventilation. 
Jose is standing over in the corner talking to a woman. He is 
wrapped in an ugly stripped blanket and looks for all the world 
like an Egyptian Mummy revived. He don't know I am talking 
about him, if he did he 
would probably carve me 
into small bits with his 
huge machete, which he 
has just sharpened. While 
writing these lines a moth- 
erly old hen hopped from 
a beam overhead directly 
on my lap, where she rest- 
ed a moment, calmly con- 
templating the scene, and 
doubtless deliberating as to 
lier next move. These use- 
ful fowls are allowed the 

range of the house, as are %tvrtlo/^ \a^ V.o^ <\(,\y^\eMnrvi<i' 

all other domestic animals. Cows, calves, pigs, goats, ducks, geese 
and babies meet on terms of perfectequality. Even the dogs and 
cats are accorded no special advantages. Truly, a most democratic 
country, where even the beasts of the field enjoy equal privileges 
with the lord of the Manor. 

August 16 — To night finds us in a hut of different type — the 
interior of which presents a strange appearance, a single room with a 
couple of clumsily made chairs, a rough table and several ham- 
mocks, the floor of solid earth, no windows, all light being 




132 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

admitted through the narrow door, dark, gloomy and badsmeling. 
The inhabitants, are sallow complexioned, and sickly looking, 
altogether without enterprise. The women keep the world mov- 
ing, doing all the work, carrying water and wood, gathering 
crops, cooking — everything in fact, while the men lie in their 
hammocks, smoking cigarettes, which they call on their wives or 
daughters to make, and the rolling of these fragrant cubes is one 
of the feminine duties. ' ' 

Sometimes we met a funeral procession slowly toiling along 
the mountain trail; the corpse clad in the garments in which he 
died, was laid in a comfortable sort of a crate which was carried on 
the shoulders of four men, where it would roll from side to side, 
according to the inclination of the path; sometimes there were 
only four or five followers, who, as a rule, were as cheerful 
and contented as their dead comrade. They always had one or 
two musical instruments and as they picked their way slowly over 
the uncertain road, the melancholy wail of the violin started the 
echoes among the lonely ravines. 

One evening we arrived at a small village, Colines, I think, 
just in time to attend a wedding. This was almost as hilarious an 
event as a funeral. It was quite dark, we had just finished our 
supper and were enjoying a smoke with our host, when our atten- 
tion was attracted by strains of music, and a little later a procession 
came in view. Following the band, which consisted of a violin,, 
an accordian, a guitar and picallo, came the men, after them, the 
ladies. All carried blazing knots. We joined the crowd and 
were soon at the Cabildo, a new building and quite pretentious. 
It was two stories in height, something rare, the upper part 
being set apart for municipal purposes, balls, etc. At one end of 
this large room was a raised platform, surrounded by a railing. 
As strangers we were quickly noted and the chief ofiicer sent a 
messenger to invite us to come within the inclosure, where we were 
not only provided with seats, but enjoyed a good view of the con- 
tracting parties as well as the Alcalde and his subordinates. 
When the ladies were all seated, (the men standing outside the 
railing,) the Alcalde called for the doomed couple to come forth, 
and placing a chair beside the table they took their seats and at 
once became the center of attraction. The bride was short and fat 
and looked more like a stout Dutch girl than a Spanish beauty. 



A HoosiKR IN Honduras. 



133 



She was dressed in a light colored gown with many flounces, 
tucks, a wonderful quantity of lace, and a profusion of flowers. 
The groom made a better appearance with light pants, cut in the 
peculiar Spanish style and a close fitting roundabout of some dark 
material trimmed with velvet, with brass buttons brightly 
polished. He was a really handsome fellow and doubtless 
belonged to one of the "best families." At a signal from the 
Alcalde, one of the deputies read the marriage law, which occu- 
pied about twenty minutes time and impressed all present with the 
awful responsibility attending matrimonial ventures. The deputy 
having finished, the Alcalde arose and read a few lines from 
another book then holding up the rod of office, (a slim cane deco- 
rated with a bit of ribbon) put the terrible question to which the 
groom responded faintly, "I do," but looked as though he meant 
the opposite. He seemed thoroughly frightened. The same 



av 




r . , 






,- 






If'^ 





CROSSING the; CHIMEIvKCON. 



question was put to the bride and her answer being satisfactory, 
the twain were declared to be one flesh. The couple were 
required to leave their autographs in a ponderous volume and the 
ceremony was over. To light this scene, the municipality 
furnished four candles, but only one bottle being available, three 
men were employed to hold them. 

As blotting pads are unknown in this region, the signatures of 



134 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

the newly wedded were sanded by a deputy and the book closed. 
This was a civil niarraige. The law requires all persons contem- 
plating such a step to make known their designs b}' posting a 
notice in writing on the Cabildo at least twent}^ daj^s in advance of 
the date fixed upon, then to come before the Alcalde and be mar- 
ried in public so there can never be any question raised in regard 
to the transaction. The church, however, does not recognize the 
civil process, therefore, it is necessary for those who wish to 
pose before the world in the wedded capacit)^, to be married by a 
priest, so in most instances the happy couple repair at once to the 
Padre and have the bans performed according to the cannons of 
the church, for which they usually add from twenty to fifty dollars 
to the treasur}^ of the holy Father. For this information the writer 
is indebted to our host, who is presumed to know. For the civil 
service the charge is only twenty-five cents. 

After the ceremon}^, the hall was cleared, the ladies being 
seated on benches on one side while the men stood against the 
opposite wall. As distinguished visitors, we were invited to retain 
our seats on the raised platform. From this exalted position we 
had a flue view of the hall. Presently the band struck up. An 
adventurous youth moved cautiously across the open space and 
bowing before a blushing damsel begged her hand for the first 
dance, which after a little maidenly hesitation she gave and the 
next moment the couple were whirling gracefully across the floor. 
This seemed to inspire two or three more timid spirits and soon the 
floor was filled with swiftly moving figures. The dim light of the 
flickering candles, the clouds of smoke, the gorgeous colors, red, blue, 
yellow, green and white, following each other in quick succession, 
as the merry throng swept up and down, in and out, back and 
forth, formed a picture, at once weird and facinating. 

In the midst of the festivities the father of the bride sent a 
messenger to invite the strangers to join him in a "glass" to the 
health of the happy couple — this seemed an eas}'^ thing to do, and 
quite proper under the circumstances; crossing the hall we arrived 
before a table where the old fellow was busily engaged, fulfilling 
his mission as master of ceremonies, doing his duty heroically, and 
energetically too, drinking with every one whose phisical endur- 
ance was equal to the ordeal. After shaking hands he filled a 
huge bumper with a potion locally known as "An^sada," a fright- 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 135 

ful concoction of native rum and aniseed — Alas! that innocent 
unsuspecting strangers, should be thus imposed upon — liquid fire t 
— how it hissed and crackled as it burned its way slowly to the heels, 
of our riding boots — talk of Jersey lightening it's like watered milk 
by comparison. Silently and sadly we sought our humble quarters 
— farewell blushing bride, goodby happy groom, adios — anasada. 

As has already been stated, we usually arranged our days 
journey so as to be a few hours behind the train in order to enjoy 
the ride undisturbed by the clatter of the muleteers, whose con- 
stant altercation with their animals, while amusing for a time soon 
became monotonous to an exasperating degree. 

The writer will not soon forget these rides, now over towering 
mountains, now across wide valleys, a new world on every hand — 
scarcely a familiar bird, tree or flower — everything new and 
strange, but beautiful and interesting nevertheless. Sometimes we 
rode for hours in silence, simply feasting our eyes on the scenery 
that changed in character every league as we approached the crest 
of the cordellires, that mighty range of mountains that extends 
without a break from Patagonia to Alaska — now our mules, ploded 
along sedately a half a mile above the clouds, that rolled below, 
like an ocean of silver. Here is the birth place of stor^^is, and 
from our lofty position we could watch their formation, and note 
their progress as they swept along beneath us so close that the roar 
of wind and rain was distinctly audible, though the sun was shin- 
ing brightly on these isolated peaks that rose above the mists like 
islands in a troubled sea. These riots of the elements occurred 
most frequently after midday; suddenly, and without apparent 
cause, a slight haze would be observed hanging over an elevated 
ravine, at first almost imperceptable, then more pronounced, until 
gradually trees and rocky bastions were hidden under a soft white 
blanket, — now the under portions assumed an ominous purplish 
hue and the shaddows grew denser every instant, until the opening 
of the ball was announced by a preliminary peal of thunder that 
echoed solemnly from crag to crag, startling the sluggish vulture 
from his gluttonous dreams — for he now appeared rising out of all 
this murky darkness, up — up — up into the clear blue ether, where 
he sailed slowly, majesticall)^, a mile above the scene of commo- 
tion, a tiny mote in the infinite ocean of air — now the mutinous 
forces, directed by some unseen but noisy leader became more and 



136 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



more restless, the ever increasing masses of vapor, extend far over 
the valle)", until the storm, breaking all bounds rushes across the 
plain, where consumed by its own passion, the cloud hosts soon 
disperse, leaving the world brighter and more beautiful than before. 
If we had our silent periods in these solitudes, they were followed 
by hours of social chatter, when conversion flowed sttadily; 
what a variety of subjects were discussed on this three month's 
ride — old times, politics, religion, medicine, literature, art, agri- 
culture. What strange experiences were recalled out of the dim 
past, — mysterious circumstances, spirit manifestations, rappings, 
sights and sounds — but above all what glorious freedom. Stop- 
ping when and where we choose, to lunch, or smoke, or read, or 

write, or simply to rest, lying 
on our backs, watching the 
mists wreathing themselves 
into a thousand fantastic 
forms about the rocky sum- 
mits that towered on every 
hand, or noting the slowly 
moving shaddows as they 
followed each other across the 
vale until lost among the dark 
pine covered foot hills miles 
and miles away, and to feel 
that for once there was no 
hurry ! If we did not reach 
our destination to-day, what 
matter, to-morrow would do. 
"Manana !" the word came to have a very enticing sound indeed. 
These mountains are the parents of a thousand crystal streams, 
and every time we came to one of these we found a valid excuse 
for stopping long enough to indulge in a bath. Occasionally we 
met a company of disappointed gold hunters returning to the states 
disgusted with the country, blind to its beauties, deaf to its music, 
dead to everything but the memory of their bitter failure. They 
expected to find mountains of gold — they found only barren rocks, 
and instead of returning like princes they must reappear among 
their friends with large patches on their pants. Of course the 
prospect of returning to the home of one's childhood under such 







THE lyAST CANDI.K STICK. 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 137 

circumstances is not exhilariting. We had tried it in our youth 
and from that day to this we have resolutely refused to search for 
wealth. It is a snare and a delusion. 

Now and then we were overtaken by parties on their way to 
the mines. These fellows were full of hope, riding in hot haste, 
all impatience. We tried to make them understand there was 
no hurry, advised them to take their time — and a bath — once in a 
while — they needed it — told them the mountains of gold would 
not get away — in fact they were quite stationar}^ and would wait 
patiently a whole year, a whole century for that matter, we did 
all we could to prolong their delusion, in fact we preached 
"Manana" to these hot headed rovers — advised them to travel 
slowly and enjoy themselves as they went a long, to save their 
strength as they would need it for the return trip, but our argu- 
ments were all in vain. They had no eyes, ears, hearts or minds 
for anything but gold, so they rushed on to find the coveted treas- 
ure securely locked in the mountains vaults — and the combination 
lost. And so it has been in "every age and clime" where one 
succeeds a thousand fail, so it will always be, for the simple rea- 
son that the success of one depends on the failure of another. 
Wherever you see a millionaire, you see a man, who through cir- 
cumstances fortunate or otherwise, has been enabled to absorb the 
wealth produced by others. I say fortunate or otherwise advisedly 
because I'm not sure that wealth is a fortunate possession — but 
there's something mighty attractive about it. 

But enough, this is the land of rest and romance, we have all 
we need to-day. The morrow takes care of itself. Away with 
trouble, away with cold philosophy ! So we light our pipes and 
journey on, without a thought or care for the golden hoard that 
lies under our feet, perchance almost within our grasp. We 
arrive at Santa Barbara, a sleepy little town surrounded by moun- 
tains, 'dobe walls, red tiled roofs, projecting windows, huge old 
cathedral, large cabildo, narrow streets paved from wall to wall 
with cobble stones, women carrying water from the creek, some 
pretty, some not, but all straight and well formed; men laying in 
shade smoking, naked children playing in the plaza, native sol- 
diers being drilled by an officer from Gautemala, wild set, ragged, 
barefooted, unkempt, wicked looking; drill with wooden sticks to 
represent guns, looks like childs play. This is the seat of govern- 



138 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

ment for the department of Santa Barbara, one of the most impor- 
tant towns in the republic from a political point of view. It is the 
home of President Bogran, whose family occupy the largest man- 
sion in the city. It occupies a solid square on the Calle de I^a 
Constitution, and is furnished in a style of grandeur that astonishes 
the stranger, who has become accustomed to mud walls and earthern 
floors. As representatives of the United States government, we 
called at the mansion. The President was absent, being detained 
at the capitol by some diplomatic business, but Mrs. Bogran 
received us graciousl}^ and we spent a delightful half hour. Here 
we found beautiful rugs from the orient, books, paintings, statuary, 
in fact every evidence of wealth and culture. Our hostess called 
our attention particularl}^ to a large collection of photos of the 
celebrated ruins of Coban, and explained them in charming Span- 
ish, Her tones were low but very distinct and the language never 

sounded so musical as on this occasion. 
She is a native of Santa Barbara, but 
well educated and truly refined. The 
President was building a new residence 
on the mountain side just a thousand 
feet above the city. She was greatlj^ 
interested in the new home and fre- 
quently rode up there to note progress. 
She thought they would spend their 
time between the two places, little 
jM'W'''^ dreaming that a few" months later, the 

jp/ su^^c, -By^a^^^A^r^ General, then the most popular man in 

the Republic, would be forced to flee for 
his life, seeking refuge in the United States. 

In matters of dress, she followed the custom of the country, 
her gown of silk was plainly made and over her shoulders was 
thrown, with careless grace, a richly embroidered shawl, while her 
hair neatly braided was allowed to hang over her shoulders. 

The principal industries here are the manufacture of native 
pottery, dobe blocks, or bricks, being huge square blocks of earth 
mixed with grass and dried in the sun. These, when built in a four 
foot wall with mud for mortar, will last for ages in this frostless 
climate. The w^omen are also largely engaged in the manufacture 
of panama hats and cigars, the latter the vilest we have met. 




A HoosiKR IN Honduras. 139 

As there was no hotel in the city, we rented a whole house, 
facing the Calle de I/ibertad, one of the aristocratic streets, our 
new residence consisted of one room. Here Aaron swung our 
hammocks and in five minutes we were as much at home as 
though we had always lived there. Back of our mansion was a 
garden surrounded by a high stone wall capped with red tile, this 
was over grown with vines and had the appearance of being very 
ancient. It was a favorite resort for the buzzards, and it was 
nothing unusual, after a shower, to see twenty-five or thirty 
perched on this wall with their wings out-spread drying in the sun. 

The former owner of this property must have been a man of 
rare taste for in the center of this flowery retreat is a summer house 
of rustic pattern provided with comfortable seats. From this place 
we caught a glimpse of the church with its tall white dome, show- 
ing through an opening in the trees. It was very pleasant to sit 
there, breathing the perfumed air and listening to the sounds of 
the street that came so faintly — the bugle call from the Cabildo, 
the clatter of mules over the cobble stone, the drum, or the mili- 
tary band. In fact we found it much pleasanter to sit out there 
and smoke those dainty Spanish cigarettes than to work, espec- 
i-ally when our friend, Don Funas' pretty daughter rolled them so 
prettily and insisted so sweetly that we test the product of her 
genius. But we could not tarry always, though to tell the truth, 
none of us were anxious to mount the mules, for we knew that the 
road was rougher than ever, and it would be a long time before we 
could find as pleasant a resting place. While here, one of our ani- 
mals was bitten by a tarantula, or horse spider. The poor creature 
lived only a few hours. Some time was lost hunting up another to 
take its place. However, Moses persuaded a poor native that 
sixty pesos (dollars) were much more to be desired than an old 
gray mule and so our ranks were filled. Then occured one of 
those exasperating circumstances that sometimes mar the pleasure of 
travel in this county — the owner of a pasture lot, a wily rascal, had 
agreed for a certain stipulated sum to allow our mules to graze 
therein, but when Moses and Aaron appeared with the amount, 
he thought he saw an opportunity to bleed the "gringos" and to 
that end, demanded just twice the sum agreed upon and purposed 
to hold the stock until the demand was met. This was a condition 
of affairs that delighted our Olancho men. Moses calmly covered 



140 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



tlie old sinner with a gun, while Aaron brought out the 
mules. Then throwing down the price agreed upon he left 
the Don swearing vengance, which soon followed. Just as 
we were ready to start a body of soldiers surrounded our 
faithful servants, who were marched off to the Cabildo to answer to 
the charge of highway robbery. The Alcalde seemed a decent fel- 
low and when the matter was explained, he dismissed the case at 
once and threatened to have the extortioner placed in the stocks. 
Moses and Aaron were promptly released but their proud spirits 
could not bear the humilation and although fully vindicated, they 
refused resolutely to go another mile. The)'' had been paid a 
months wages in advance, this the)^ returned and set their faces 
toward the wilds of Olancho. Santa Barbara was entirely too 
refined for these children of the mountains. They could not 
brook the cold conventionalities of this highly civilized commun- 
ity. So we were forced to say 
good bye, and we watched them 
start on their little jaunt of a 
hundred miles with real regret. 
Each one carried his hammock 
and blanket neatly rolled and 
slung over the shoulder bj^ a 
stout leather strap. Their 
machetes newly ground flashed 
in the sun; their huge revol- 
vers were freshly charged, and 
we knew that any differences 
that might arise between these 
men and the villagers, on their 
return trip, would be swiftly 
adjusted, according to the laws 
of justice as understood by 
these simple-minded children 
of the forest. 

This change of affairs caused another delay, but really there 
was no particular hurry and one more day in the romantic little 
city was not considered in the light of a misfortune. Santiago 
was particularly well pleased, as his affections had been quite won 
b}' a certain black-eyed damsel whose residence, fronting on the 




BOUND FOR THE MIRES. 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 141 

'Calle de Id Paz, was provided with a large projecting window, the 
iron bars of which had been accidently or otherwise pressed apart 
sufficiently to admit the arm of the lover. Here the young man 
had spent many happy evenings in the deep shadow of the wide 
projecting roof. The words spoken were few, and whispered, for 
should the old Don learn of these meetings, good bye happy 
•dfeams. Thanks to the bent bars, he could reach through the 
opening and clasp the object of his devotion with one arm, and so, 
silently, but not less stoutly, Cupid forged the chains that seemed 
like bonds of silk, but which later on may gall the poor victims 
beyond endurance — but why anticipate, while the world stands, 
maids will charm, lovers will woo, both blind and deaf to every 
object but one — wealth, position, high asperations, all will be sac- 
rificed on the rose strewn altar of the smiling tyrant, and perhaps 
it's best. Cold calculation usually makes even greater blunders. 
Marriages of convenience often prove very- inconvenient indeed. 

Meanwhile what havoc these rustic beauties are causing 
gimong the poor defenceless youths of the little republic ! How 
destinies are shaped by a glimpse of a shining braid, the glance 
of eye quickly lowered, the tell tale blush — what magnetic power 
lurks in those dark, lustrous orbs, in whose depths are reflected 
just enough of melancholy to arrouse interest — then sympathy — 
then — fatal step — love ! 

The climate of Honduras, especially the elevated plateaus is 
simplj^ superb, here, at an elevation of from 2,500 to 3,000 feet 
above the sea nothing could be more charming — to exaggerate the 
beauty of the scenery or the seasons would seem impossible — ' 'like 
our June" comes as near telling the story as words will do it — yet 
it lacks a great deal — for in Indiana, June cannot be fully depended 
upon — there will be some excessively hot days, others uncomforta- 
bly cool — there will be days without a ghost of a zepher, when one 
would almost give all they possess for a good full breath of fresh 
air. 

This is not the case in Honduras, (and the same is true of the 
higher portions of Guatemala and Nicaragua) where the tempera- 
ture is uniform, very seldom rising above 85 degrees at noon, in 
the shade — and falling at night to 65 degrees, making blankets a 
necessity. During the day a delightful breeze prevails, it comes 
pure and clear as crystal, from the great Pacific ocean, washed 



142 A HoosiKR IN Honduras. 

clean by its long tussell with the salt water — to breath it means 
new life and hope to the invalid, and fills the heart of the strong 
with joy. 

In this almost perfect climate nearly every fruit and flower 
can be successfully cultivated, yet very little attention is paid to 
either agriculture jr florticulture by the contented natives, who 
prefer to subsist on the cattle that range the heights, free as the 
air, or the the unfettered streams. 

No doubt some one has a legal claim on each and all of these 
wanderers, but if such is the case, the innocent souls who inhabi- 
tate this terrestial paradise, seem quite ignorant of the fact, so it 
came to pass that we were often regaled on fresh veal or pork as 
the case might be, by these free-handed sons of the mountain, whose 
fleet footed ponies and fateful lassoes, proved the undoing of 
many a sleek calf or yearling, when the demands of hospitality 
called for the sacrifice — with a wild whoop the boys set off down the 
valley where the rich grass, revived by the recent rains attract the 
droves from the higher slopes. They ride at reckless speed, with 
saddle or without, the herd, panic stricken by the swift descent 
and demoniac yells, scatter in every direction, thus enabling their 
pursuers to select the very finest young steer; then begins a race 
for life — screaming like madmen, the daring riders urge their wiry 
little beasts to their utmost speed — away they go with the fleetnesa 
of the wind, rocks and hidden gullies are cleared at a bound, for 
these wild cattle are little inferior to the red deer in the matter of 
swiftness and high jumping — but it's only a matter of time — the 
tough little ponies are gradually, but surely gaining on the quarry, 
the riders, encouraged, renew their yells as they swing the lar- 
iats preparatory to the fatal throw — a little closer — now ! — swish ! 
they fly straight and swift as arrows, landing squarely over the 
horns — instantly the horse throws himself on his haunches — if horse 
and rider were one the movement could not be more timely — in an 
instant the animal is on its knees — almost similtaneously another 
lasso is thrown from the opposite side, and while the obedient 
horses hold the line taut the hunters dispatch the game — in less 
time than it takes to tell it the steer is transformed into a dressed 
beef — the hide is carefully preserved, all the meat that can be used 
at once is brought home, the remainder being "jerked" or dried 
in the sun, thus preserving it for some future emergency when the 
fresh article may not be so readily obtained. 



CHAPTER IX. 

IfROM SANTA BARBARA TO THE CAPITOL, WITH SOME DIGRESSIONS. 

From this time we were to be led by angels, two having been 
discovered in the persons of Don Pedro Angeles and his son Bar- 
tholomew, who had for the trifling consideration of fourteen dollars 
a month and Tortillas, consented to fill the position lately 
vacated by the faithful Olanchans. 

Though unprovided wiih the conventional wings and arrayed 
in the simple style of the country, our new guides proved efficient 
and trustworthy. 

Finally, everything having been satisfactorily adjusted and 
*'Adois" repeated, we rode away accompanied by a delegation of 
our newly made acquaintances, for such is the the ctistom of the 
country. These good fellows followed us about two leagues, 
then, with much hand shaking and drinking of each others health. 
We parted. 

In Honduras, the host always rides out six, eight or ten miles to 
meet the coming guest, his saddle bags well supplied with refresh- 
ments adapted to this peculiar climate, and considered quite essen- 
tial on such occasions. If the approaching visitor be a man of 
great importance, he will be met by a large party, and the chances 
are that he will need some friendly assistance before he arrives at 
his destination. When he departs, the same party will escort him 
to the nearest village where the ordeal of parting must be gone 
through, which is sometimes painfully prolonged. 

Three days later our train was wending its way through the 
narrow streets of Comayagua, the old Spanish capitol. Here we 
iound a hotel and enjoyed the luxury of beds, a large room with 
double doors opening on the street, meals served on a table with 
the preliminary bowl of soup, and best of all, "'Pan Blanco." 
Yes, real loaves of white bread, fresh vension — and ants. 

L^ooking over that old memorandum book once more, I find 
the following : 

"September 1. — Comfortable hotel — good room — good bed — 
wonderful table. This morning when I broke my little loaf of 



-'7\ 



144 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

white bread (think of it ! actually white bread) and five thous- 
and ants began marching out in good order, I was surprised — felt 
I was imposing on the landlady by accepting so much without 
making some remuneration. Mentioned the subject, but the good 
woman declared I need feel under no obligations as they were 
furnished with the bread, consequently cost her nothing. I was 
satisfied so far as the hostess was concerned, but conscience still 
troubled me — felt that it was wrong to eat these innocent and 
unsuspecting insects, when they had given no cause for offense, 
but where simply roaming around the fragrant caverns of the Pan 
Blanco in ignorance of the awful fate awaiting them. It wasn't 
that I objected to ants as an article of diet, or that I was prejudiced 
against them in any way, but felt it was taking a mean advantage 
to spring upon them in this unfeeling manner. Influenced by 
rMj~i these arguments, the Senora 

.4 ,p-0$,\!fim>^^ divided the loaf in four pieces, 

tapping them briskly on the 
table. The surprised tenants 
came trooping out of every 
crevice, distributing themselves 
over the cloth. She then 
handed me the pieces with a 
satisfied smile remarking that 
they now had fair warning, and 
I.A me;rced. if any failed to escape it would 

be no fault of mine. She admired the disposition I had shown 
and hoped Senor would now rest quite easy. ' ' 

Ants are everywhere in Central America, at all altitudes from 
the coast to the summit of the highest mountain, large, small, 
medium and betweens. Some fierce and agressive, not waiting to 
be attacted, but rushing madly to the fray, others timid and shy, 
taking alarm at the slightest sound, falling into your soup or coffee 
in their wild flight. 

How we reveled among all these luxuries — and were half 
minded to. stop indifinitely ! 

About noon on the day of our arrival we were aroused from 
our reveries by the sound of an approaching band accompanied by 
the clatter of a numerous squad of riders. We soon learned the 
cause of all this commotion. A company of strolling acrobats 





A HoosiKR IN Honduras. 145 

were just now advertising a performance for the evening. One of 
the actors, arrayed as a clown, was seated backwards on an old 
gray mule, as he passed he smiled and bowed to the ladies, but 
shook his fists at the small boys, who yelled without ceasing. Arriv- 
ing before our house he stopped and announced in a loud voice, 
that there would be a circus in the evening in a certain house, m 
a certain street, at a certarn hour, where all sorts of performances 
possible and impossible were to be enacted. Among the attrac- 
tions was the inevitable "human ostrich," who would swallow a col- 
lection of knives, forks and nails, completing the meal by consum- 
ing a quart of broken glass, the same to be prepared by some mem- 
ber of the audience. A circus in Honduras is worth seeing, so, 
when the hour arrived we started out guided by the sound of 
music and a confused babel of voices in the direction of the plaza. 
The night was beautiful, the full moon flooded the deserted streets 
with a soft mellow light, the long rows of houses tightly closed 
stretched away in the dim distance. Here and there we passed 
the crumbling ruins of some old time church, now overgrown with 
ivy, the home of owls and bats. These ancient towers with their 
dismal tenants wear a strangely spectral look looming up through 
the silvery mist that gathers over the plain at night fall. We 
found the place at last, a very narrow street under the shadow of 
the great cathedral. A motley crowd had already gathered. Men, 
woman and chilnren in all stages of dress and undress. As usual 
the youngsters were quite free of clothing, while those a little far- 
ther advanced wore short shirts alone- The big boys, however, 
appeared in full evening costume, consisting of drawers and shirt, 
broad sombreros and cigarettes. These latter, strutted around like 
turkey cocks hunching the smaller fry right and left after the man- 
ner of young snobs of similar caliber everywhere. Three ragged 
soldiers with real guns, guarded the arched entrance, over which 
hung an oil lamp that gave out a little light and a great deal of 
smoke. On depositing a couple of reals in the hand of one of the 
guards, we were allowed to enter. Passing through a long dark 
hall we came out in a court, where a trapeze and bar had been 
erected, and a band was industriously punishing a half dozen 
instruments, which in turn screamed back a wild but useless pro- 
test. The drum fairly roared with rage, but a battered brass horn 
seemed to suffer most, if one might judge by the agonizing shrieks 
with which it rent the still air of night. 



146 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

The place filled rapidly, for if there is anything these people 
love it is noise and smoke. The flickering light from the torches, 
the strange faces and costumes and rainbow array of colors, pro- 
duced an effect at once novel and wierd. The performance 
proved very tame, as usual the "ostrich" was unable to carry out 
his part of the program, owing to a painful accident caused by 
swallowing a butchers saw, a circumstance greatly regretted by the 
managers who begged the kind indulgence of the audience, etc. 
We were soon glad to escape to the clearer air of the street, which 
was now almost empty. Here we found an old woman diligently 
engaged in the manufacture of milk punch. Before her was a lit- 
tle fire of pine wood, on one side a supply of sticks, with which to 
replenish it, on the other, a large wooden tray containing several 
bottles of native rum, a pan full of eggs, a little box of cinnamon, 
a jug of milk, some sugar in a broken dish. In the midst of the 
fire stood an earthern vessel filled with milk which was kept at the 
boiling point. Business was not pressing — the dealer seemed very 
poor — moreover the punch diffused a most enticing aroma — her 
price was moderate — only a media — (6}( cents) — would we try 
her goods? but no, visions of Colines, and the wedding, with the 
"Anasada" incident came before us. We would take no risks, so 
calling up the three ragamuffins who still stood guard, although 
there was no further necessity for their services, we invited them 
to try the compound, then calmly waited to see them drop, but 
were dissappointed. Indeed the)^ seemed to enjoy the experiment 
and expressed their gratitude by many low bows, aud muttered 
"gracias, senor, muches gracias," even offering to repeat the 
act if "Senor" desired. 

The following letter from the Pittsburgh Dispatch, will give a 
pretty good idea of this old town and is therefore inserted without 
apology. 

"A charming old Spanish town, lying asleep in the warm 
sunlight, surrounded by groves of orange trees, whose odorous 
blossoms fill the air with a delicate perfume all the year through, 
for here spring, summer, autumn and winter are merged in one 
•deligtful season, and while the ripe fruit glistens like gold among 
the deep green foliage of one tree its neighbor will be found in full 
bloom. 

Years ago this was the most populous and prosperous city in 



A HoosiKR IN Honduras. 



147 



Honduras, having, it is alleged, not less than 30,000 inhabi- 
tants, but since the removal of the capitol to Tegucigalpa the place 
has been steadily retrograding until, at the present time, the popu- 
lation does not exceed 6,000. 

The long narrow streets stretch away in dim perspective, 
lined with rows of one story adobe houses, many of them deserted 
and in ruins. A dozen or more old churches, their roofless walls 
overgrown with moss and vines, attest the religious fervor of the 
people in those old, happy days, when the markets were thronged 
with eager buyers from a hundred interior villages, and the plaza 
echoed the confused sounds of music and barter, the jargon of 
tradesmen and disputing muleteers. Now the great square is for- 
saken, the vast cathedral with its massive towers and lofty dome 
seems a magnificient monument erected over a dead and buried 
community; its glowing white walls rising high above the adjac- 
ent buildings are visible for miles, a sure guide to the solitary trav- 
eler on the plain. I prefer it as it is to-day, with its drowsy 
atmosphere, its half heard sounds, the far away musical hum of 
bees, flitting from flower to flower in the white walled garden. 

Here we lay down life's burden and rest awhile from the con- 
suming cares that pursue us in more civilized lands. The artific- 
ial desires that coun- 
terbalance the pleas- 
ures of cultured soci- 
ety are here unknown. 
Senora Maria is not 
dying of envy because 
Senora I^a Paz's new 
bonnet is a day later 
than her own from 
Paris; in fact, Senora 
Maria does not give 
Senora I,a Paz's head- 
gear a thought, and, 
to tell the truth, 
neither of these ladies 
possess such an arti- 
cle, probably never 
■coMlS?/A&ift^ --"vVi-^H;^^ saw one. She wears 




148 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

a broad rimmed straw hat, just like her good husband's, and 
is quite satisfied therewith. 

Here is no distracting shreik of locomotives, no horrid din of 
'contending cabmen, no roar of traffic. 

Comayagua is built in the midst of the plain of the same 
name, having an elevation, of about 2,000 feet above the sea; con- 
sequentl}^ enjoys a climate that is unsurpassed. The air is wonder- 
fully pure and exhilarating, the scenery grand. The broad valle}^ 
stretches away for leagues, a natural park, the surface gently 
undulating, watered by numerous streams, dotted with clumps 
of hardy oaks, giant cactus, tree ferns, with isolated piles of rock 
over run with flowering vines. Over all tower the mountains, vast, 
dim, cloudcrowned. These rise on every side to a height of 5,000 
to 7,000 feet ilke grim sentinels guarding the lovely plain — on 
their elevated slopes every fruit and vegetable known to the tem- 
perate zone may be grown successfully. Pears, peaches and plums 
flourish, beside oranges, bananas aud mangos, while corn, wheat 
and oats are cultivated in connection with upland rice, coffee and 
cacao. In the markets we find tomatoes, cabbage, potatoes, not 
equal to those produced in the states, but very fair, indeed, when 
we consider the crude manner of cultivation. With modern imple- 
ments and methods, wonderful results might be realized. 

The town is not dead — only sleeping. Some day it will 
awaken to the grand possibilities within its reach. A railroad will 
be built from San Pedro, making her vast resources available, the 
toil and discontent of a higher civilization will overcome the happy 
dwellers in this quiet vale. Vain ambitions, envy, hatred but 
half concealed, iu fact all the evils of an "educated and refined" 
community will be upon them. However, this catastrophe is not 
eminent. The Hondurians cannot be hurried; no force of oratory or 
elegance of speech can move them beyond their natural gait; in all 
their movements they are slow, sedate, stately — haste is undigni- 
fied. "Crazy as a Frenchman" is the usual appelation applied to 
Americans who insist on pushing their schemes with reckless 
promptitude. 

You may not be sure of your breakfast, dinner or tea, here, 
but one thing you can always depend on, that is bright, sunshiny 
weather; dark, dull, rainy days are unknown. Occasionally a 
thunder storm sweeps over the plain obscuring the sky for a quar- 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 149 

ter, sometimes a half hour; these usually occur from 4 to 5 o'clock 
in the afternoon. Coming as they do at the warmest hour of the 
day, these swiftly passing showers are most refreshing, for a few 
minutes the rain falls in torrents washing the cobbled streets till 
they are as white as grandmothers kitchen floor after its tri-weekly 
scrubbing — then follows the daily marvel, a tropical sunset — the 
lead colored clouds that lately trailed their gray skirts across the 
fields, are scattered now. The sun hanging over the western rim 
of this vast basin floods the valley with golden light, straggling 
forms of vapor linger here and there, or cling about the isolated 
peaks, whence they stream out like banners from lofty battle- 
ments, reflecting every shifting tint of the evening sky — now the 
distant precipices glow like burnished gold — now they fade grad- 
ually to pale crimson, only to be swallowed up a moment latter by 
the deep purple shadows that fall over the world like the soft sil- 




ken curtains drawn about the cradle of the sleeping prince — but this 
twilight is of short duration to-night — for the full moon is rising, slow- 
ly, her face, shining like a silver shield — now we trace the black out- 
line of rock and tree against that perfect arc of light — then swing- 
ing clear of all earthly obstructions, she sails majestically through 
through the sky, queen of the tropical night — filling the streets 
with a mild yet beautiful radience unknown in higher latitudes. 

Comayagua is one of those favored towns possessing a hotel — 
the "Americano." Here you can have the native tortillas, with 
their inseparable companion dish frijoles, coffee, milk, venison or 
pork, eggs and vegetables, a large airy room, all at an expense of 



150 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

$1. 50 a day in this currency, equal to about 90 cents in gold. A 
delightful retreat from the cold blasts of winter or the fiierce heat 
of summer, for here the thermoneter rarely marks a higher temper- 
ature than 85 degrees during the warmest season, or lower than 75 
degrees in winter — a land of perpetual spring, of flowers, birds,, 
music, sunlight. 

This town ought to command the respect of the traveler for its 
age, if for nothing else. In a country where everything is new, 
a city dating back to 1540 deserves the title of ancient — only forty- 
eight years after Columbus first sighted the lofty peak of Conger 
Hoy, Alonzo Casceras a I^ieutenant of Cortez, acting under the 
instruction of that general, proceeded to Honduras with an army 
of one thousand men for the purpose of selecting a site for a city,, 
which Corteq directed him to build as nearly as possible at a point 
half way between the oceans. So closely did he follow his instruc- 
tions that it is said the exact center is less than four miles north of 
the plaza, which seems the more remarkable when we consider 
that no measurements were made. 

Scarcely a building in the city but has suffered more or less 
from revolutions and earthquakes, but the former have been vastly 
the more destructive. All the churches bear the marks of musket 
or cannon balls, and a large number have been quite destroyed* 
Private residences also show where the battle raged. On one of 
fhe main streets we noticed the iron bars that protect the project- 
ing windows, were often broken and twisted in all manner of 
shapes. We could not imagine what force could have been used 
to effect such ruin, but on making inquiry were told that it was 
done by the cannons of an attacking party who had placed an old 
fiield piece at the end of the street and amused themselves by 
practicing on the cathedral, which loomed up at the opposite end. 
The fire was not well directed and some balls bounced along the- 
cobble stones or glanced up through these barred windows. Many 
conspirators have been executed here from time to time, probably the 
last being General Delgrado and four companions, whoNvere shot 
in front of the ancient church of I^a Merced in November, 1886. 
It is reported that President Bogran was anxious to save the Gene- 
ral's life but was prevented by the obstinacy of the old soldier, who. 
preferred to die rather than to live through the mercy of his hated 
rival. However, his last request was granted, which was that he 



A HoosiKR IN Honduras. 151 

might be allowed to give the command to fire, and at the proper 
moment his voice rang out clear and loud, and he fell, dying 
almost before the echoes had ceased to vibrate among the tottering 
towers of the old church. 

Here we met Jack Humphrey, an adventurer, originally from 
Connecticut, but whose home was anywhere; the son of wealthy 
parents, he had started in life with the brightest prospects thor- 
oughly educated and possessing natural ability of a high order, he 
might have made his mark in any community, but he had the mis- 
fortune to fall in love at an early age with a girl, who, after an 
■engagement of a year, suddenly changed her mind, in other 
words another fellow proved more attractive and Jack was thrown 
■over. From that day he became a wanderer, roving from place to 
place with no other object than to put in his time and exist at the 
expense of others, and find what amusement he could as he went 
•along. He was a pleasant fellow and knew a little of everything 
and was cheerful with all — rain or shine, hot or cold — it was all 
the same to Jack. He was one of those odd characters that are 
occasionally met in these out of way places. No doubt he would 
long since have been forgotten had it not been for the amusement 
he afforded us one time several weeks later. We had left him 
peacefully smoking on the steps of the hotel, when we rode out of 
Comayagua, never expecting to see him again; finding we had 
plenty of time and not having quite as much mountian experience 
as we desired, we decided to take an excursion to a town cele- 
brated for the excellence of its cigars. The following quotation 
irom a letter printed in the Indianapolis Journal will describe our 
next meeting and incidently give the reader a glimpse into a home 
life of a native cabinet maker and undertaker. 

"Santa Rosa is an Indian peublo, consisting of a few dozen 
huts, hid away among the mountains of Honduras. It has little 
to interest the traveler and we were heartily tired of it; we had 
been waiting nearly a week for Santiago to bring in our two most 
valuable mules, which, thanks to the lazy Indian's carelessness, 
had strayed in the bush. Time dragged heavilly. We had liter- 
ally devoured our only newspaper, now three months old — "local 
brevities," "news items," "funnygraphs." advertisemens, and 
finally in our desperation, the editorials themselves — and there is 
no telling what the result would have been but for the opertune 



152 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



arrival of Jack Humphrey, whom we had left weeks ago in the 
sleepy town of Comayagua. It is hardly necessary to say that we 
were delighted to see the good natured vagabond once more. He 
was mounted on his old white mule, followed by his Indian ser- 
vant. Jack was a typical Yankee, whose aimless wander- 
ings had at last landed him in Honduras where fortune seemed 
to have utterly forsaken him. But his was a cheerful soul 
never giving up to despair. His resources were endless, his 
wit inexhaustable; he could mend a clock, write a sermon, shoe a 
horse, lecture on law or medicine. Poetry trickled from his pen 
like drops from a melting icicle. He could paint a house or por- 
trait with equal facility, and as for scenes and signs, he could do 
them blindfolded, so he said. He taught boxing one season and 
the next traveled as a professor of music. He did everything in 




urtt>i' 



a-^vK" 



^~™,^^C,;^_^,^^j,^ 



fact, but work, and saved everything but money. The collection of 
curios, which he packed about from camp to camp, would have 
made a respectable start for a museum. 

Such a restless spirit could not exist long without some 
distraction, and he began at once to look around for amusement. 
Right across the street was the shop and residence of Jose Funer- 
alo, the undertaker. His establishment was not extensive, but it 
abounded in interesting features. The business occupied the 
entire block, which consisted of one house containing a single 
room about twelve by twenty feet. One corner was devoted to the 
culinary department, with its stone fire place, another was used as 
a general store house for all the odds and ends required by the 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 153 

native housewife — a half dozen earthern vessels, heaps of tattered 
blankets, well worn hammocks, and over all this wreckage, a pic- 
ture of the Pope. As a further precaution against evil influences, 
the good man had nailed to the wall in the remaining space, a rude 
cross of his own carving. Among these picturesque surroundings, 
Don Jose carried on his trade; his tools were few and simple — a 
saw, a hatchet, a square, a glue pot, that was seldom used, with 
the usual rubish that accumulates on the bench of a wood worker. 
The plant was. not large, but it was quite as extensive as the trade 
demanded. Times were dull, and our swarthy neighbor seemed 
quite content to repose on the half finished coffin, dreamily specu- 
lating as to who would be its occupant, hoping it.mignt be one of 
the wealthy Dons, perhaps, but all the time smoking serenely, 
while Madame prepared the tortillas, with infinite toil, for her 
lord's supper. 

Jack saw his opportunity and soon had Jose convinced that all 
he needed was a big "bargain" sign. As the natives could neither 
read nor write, it was decided to have it lettered in English, with 
the view of catching the "transient custom," as Jack explained, of 
travelers who were constantly coming and going from the mines. 
You can judge of the astonishment with which we read the 
announcement next day. It was on white muslin, two yards wide, 
stretched across the entire front, lettered in bright red as follows : 

''Jose Funeralo, Undertaker, begs to inform the public that he is 
710W pj^epared to handle all first-class corpses with neatness and dispatch. 
His long experience enables him to guarantee satisfaction and he is 
willing to enter into an agreement with prospective customers by 
which he zvill become personally responsible for any uprising or 
riotous behavior on the part of those instrusted to his care. He 
points with pride to the long list of persons he has buried in the years 
that are gone, not one of whom has ever complained or found fault 
with coffi7i or trimm.ing. 

SPECIAL OFFER : In order to secure desirable sjibjecis 
during the next thirty days, only, I will allow a discount of fifty per 
cent, and six months credit, and all persons who contemplate dyino- 
in the near future should take advantage of this golden opportuniy 
and die now. Grand Saturday Matinee ! Ladies a?id children 
half price. ' ' 



154 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

The sign was a tremendous success, attracting as much atten- 
tion from the Indians who could not read as from the travelers who 
could. The shop suddenly became the center of attraction. Jose 
was delighted. The miners "caught on" and ordered coffins of all 
sizes by the dozen, coffins for individuals, for whole families, cof- 
fins for themselves, for their friends, for Christmas gifts, for wedd- 
ing presents, all to be delivered within the time limit. 

All went well until the Padre, from Santa Barbara, arrived 
one day to hear confessions and receive contributions. He read the 
flaming announcement with considerable emotion and immediately 
ordered it pulled down, after which he translated the words to the 
frightened director of funerals. This the secret of Jack's sudden 
call to a new field of labor. 

The childlike simplicity of these people is such that they are 
continually imposed on by every fakir that comes along. This- 
incident, which is true, names excepted, is only one of many simi- 
lar in character, witnessed by the writer during his sojourn in this 
land of sunshine and hammocks." 

From Comayagua we advanced on Tegucigalpa, the road for 
the most part being broad and graded. This highway had been 
constructed at great expense about two years before our visit, and is 
a lasting monument to the enterprise of Gen. Bogran, under whose 
administration the work was performed. A similar road has been 
constructed from the Capital to the Pacific Coast, thus cutting 
down the time between those points from five or six days to about 
forty-eight hours for riders, or sixtj^ hours for packs. The road is 
badly damaged in some places by washouts, in others by slides,, 
which occur during the wet season. There seems no excuse for 
this neglect, when we remember the soldiers that are maintained 
in absolute idleness at the government's expense, and we would 
suggest to the executive, whoever he may be at this time, that 
they turn those ragged hordes on the roads in sufficient numbers to 
keep them in repair. This is only a suggestion and no bill will be 
rendered for the advice, and no offense will be taken if it is not 
adopted, nevertheless if we were running that country, we would 
see to it that these fellows had something to do beside drilling 
with painted sticks a short half hour each day. 

We left this highway once to look over some deserted mines. 
They lay a few leagues to the north in a region celebrated for its 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



155 



"Scenery, and remote from traveled paths. The plant if it might be 
so termed, had been abandoned more than a hundred years ago on 
account of certain strange sights and sounds that could not be 
explained, and consequently were taken as a delicate hint that his 
Satanic majesty considered the advance of the workmen in the 
light of an invasion of his domain. There were rumbling sounds 
in the depths of the earth, strange lights appeared at night, smoke 
rose from the ground without apparent cause ; in the dark recesses 
frightful apparations were seen, their eyes like balls of fire, their 
bodies encircled by pale blue flames; miners dissappeared and 
it was believed that they were carried off bodily and cast into 
the pit — the bottomless pit, there to be tormented with visions of 
golden nuggets, which they could never touch, but for which they 




would struggle, fight, weep, or rave forever — forever and aye — 
such was the fate we were told, of those who dared to enter this for- 
bidden vale. No wonder those old Spaniards deserted the claim. 
Most anyone would have done so; if only one half that was told was 
true, it would be enough to discourage the boldest gold hunter. 
Still it was hard to give up the richest mine in the world, for here, 
according to tradition, they took out blocks of virgin gold 
weighing hundreds of pounds. Such were the stories concern- 
ing the fabled spot, all of which were firmly believed by the sim- 
ple folk who inhabit these remote valleys, and any attempt to pen- 
etrate the mystery surrounding the location of the lost eldorado was 



156 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

discouraged by all the power of native eloquence — and many tales 
were told of the sudden disappearance of reckless adventurers 
who persisted in pursuing their investigations in the face of all 
their warnings. 

Nevertheless, we decided to go over there and see if the same 
influence still prevailed, if not we would bring back a few hundred 
weight of the metal. But for some reason we were unable to 
locate the Bonanza, and after searching over a wide territory we 
were forced to the conclusion that the legends were quite true, and 
that the Prince of Darkness had actually carried off the whole oufit, 
or hidden it so safely as to defy all attempts to discover the 
secret. We thought we had it once. There was a bright gleam 
of shining metal on the side of a mountain, it reflected the sun 
like a mirror. Yes, there it was, a thick seam of pure gold a hun- 
dred feet long. There was no mistake about it. With a field 
glass we could plainly see and follow the gilded line which had been 
exposed by a recent landslide. It must be at least six feet thick, 
the rock above and below appeared to be be composed of 
grey sandstone seamed with purple colored quartz. Untold 
millions were in sight, almost within our grasp, all we had 
to do was to cross a deep ravine, climb the side of a hill and 
chop out as much as we wished. Four or five hours hard struggle 
found us at the foot of the the cliff, it was much higher than it 
seemed at a distance, but we were not deceived, we could see it 
clearly now, the seam was even thicker than it appeared when first 
noted. We were now directly under it and some places the 
the rock wall projected over our heads. It was about forty feet 
above where we stood. All sense of fatigue left us, every- 
thing was forgotten but the one gigantic fact — that we were mil- 
lionaires, and best of all not a soul knew our secret. We had 
undertaken this excursion alone, it was all our own. We sat 
down and made some calculations. There was no doubt hundreds 
of tons of gold in sight; to even estimate its value was out of ques- 
tion. -• We would just call it a hundred million a piece then some- 
one else might have what was left, while we were getting our 
breath we invested our fortune, so much in government securities, 
so much in real estate, so much in this, so much in that, then we 
counted up our income. We were very modest, conservative in 
fact we decided to be satisfied with 3 per cent, net — what would 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 157 

that amount to? this was an interesting problem and we worked it 
out on the smooth face of the cliff, $3,000,000 a year! T-h-r-e-e 
M-i-1-l-i-o-n D-o-l-l-a-r-s — My heart stood still, — I lived in sort of 
trance; the figures were too vast — they conveyed no meaning to 
my dazed intelect — I tried to divide the sum in order to compre- 
hend my good fortune, but found myself too weak and confused by 
the tremendous revelation to make the attempt, my brain was in a 
whirl, I seemed floating through space, attended by a train of liv- 
ered slaves, who anticipated every desire. Palaces loomed up 
through the golden mists — beautiful parks stretched in lovely per- 
spective, with groups of statuary and shimmering fountains, There 
were vast libraries, and galleries, stored with the art treasures of a 
dozen centuries — and all my own! How I pitied my poor old 
neighbors back in the states who were struggling along with only 
a few hundred thousands to their credit. 

My companion was not affected to the same extent, he real- 
ized we had a good thing and was reasonably glad, but being a 
practical business man, he did not loose his head ; he thought by 
living in a frugal way, and watching all the little expenses, we 
might get along nicely and add a comfortable sum to the principal 
each year, — he said we must be careful and conservative in the 
matter of investments. We then figured to learn as near as possi- 
ble v/hat our daily income would be and were somewhat alarmed 
when we learned that it would not exceed $8,219.17 and a few 
odd mills. I now saw the necessity of being cautious and 
economical. Having recovered our breath, we began to look 
around for some means of reaching the treasure. We found 
a tree that had fallen against the the wall and were soon making 
our way up, slowly, for the branches were very thick and covered 
with thorny spikes. Our hands were lacerated, our faces 
scratched, arms and legs were pierced in a thousand places, but 
what of that — we were rich, no more work — no more worry — $8000 
a day, at the lowest estimate, and if we chose to embark our capi- 
tal in business we might double, treble, quadruple this amount — 
what were a few scratches to us — and it was no dream. We were 
there now, through the thick foliage, we caught plimpses of the 
glistening mass. It was real. Cautiously we worked our way out 
on a long branch and stepped on the ledge. There was a space 
about a foot wide where we could stand by leanfng against the 



158 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

cliff, we crept out there and spread our hands on the seam of 
bright yellow — clay, We did very little talking on our return trip. 
When we did indulge in conversation it was about something that 
happened ages ago. We seemed to take no interest in recent 
occurances. 

One evening we came to a little cabin, if a roof supported bj^ 
four poles might be so termed. It was miles from any path. The 
owner, his wife, three small children, a pig, two dogs and a half 
dozen chickens were comfortably settled for the night, but on our 
appearance, the good wdfe quickly drove out the pig and dogs, in 
order to make room for us. We stopped here over night and made 
glad the hearts of the whole family in the morning by distributing 
a hadful of reals among the children, though we felt we could 
hardly afford such extravagance after our recent experience. 

Just as we were about to leave in the morning, I noticed 
some old books on a shelf close up under the roof. This was a 
great surprise and I begged the privilege of looking at them. 
Judge of my astonishment to find a copy of "Crowley's British Poets' ' 
a pocket edition of "Webster's Dictionary," printed in 1880, and a 
small testament. To have unearthed a diamond at this place 
would not have been more unexpected, we w^ere at least 
ten leagues from any traveled road. Our squatter friend 
could not speak a word English, could not even read or 
write his own lanquge. How then had he become possessed of 
these literary treasures? On the fly leaf of the testament were the 
words, "From Mary, December 25th, 1883." That was all. Not- 
ing our curiosity, our host explained their presence, and the follow- 
ing is a synopsis of the story of the books. "One day in March, 
1885, a traveller had appeared before the house, he was tired and 
hungry and begged "posado e cafe." Of course, he was invited 
to stay as long as he wished. He was not well. His mule, a 
large gray animal was turned loose to graze. The stranger had little 
appetite and soon sought his hammock. In the morning he was 
not able to get up. At noon he was delirious. At sundown — 
dead. Alone, unknown, with out a single article by which he 
could be identified. It was many leagues to the nearest town. 
There was but one thing to do, that was to bury him. This the 
squatter did as decently as circumstances would permit, his wife 
being his only assistant. There was nothing about his person that 



A HoosiKR IN Honduras. 



159 



afforded the slightest clue as to his personality. In his pockets 
were found a few silver coins of the country and a small knife. 
He carried no arms; age about twenty-five, fair, full beard, light 
hair, blue eyes. In his saddle bags were found these books, a 
map of Honduras, nothing more. His blanket, hammock, books 
and coins await a claimant, all carefully preserved. The case was 
reported to the alcalde at the earliest opportunity, but no informa- 
tion was ever received. He was buried at the foot of a pine tree, 
just at the edge of the forest. Some stones were piled over the 
grave to mark the spot. That was all, and Mary, sister or sweet- 
heart, who ever she may be, will know, if these words should meet 
her eye, that he, for 
whom she traced 
those faint lines, 
had every attention 
that rude, but kind- 
hear ted people 
could give. The 
supposition is that 
he was a young 
Englishman, who 
had become sepa- 
rated from his com- 
panions, but noth- 
ing certain is 
known. ' ' 

We returned 

to the highway, feeling very poor indeed, but tried to bear our 
misfortune bravely and actually forgot all about it before we came 
in sight of the capitol. 

It was 2 p. M. by the watch and the 20th of November by the 
calendar when our weary mules, with their dust covered riders, 
arrived at the crest of the pass overlooking the valley of the Rio 
Grand, from whence we caught our first glimpse of Tegucigalpa, 
with its white walls and red-brown roofs. The scene was very 
beautiful. The valley stretches away for miles, with here and 
there a shimmering line of silver, betraying the course of the river 
its banks fringed with stately ceiba trees or overhung by rocky 
precipices. Far beyond, the mountains rise like a vast cerulean 







160 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

wall, their summits lost iu the clouds. The peculiar charm of the 
scene, however, to our ej^es, wearied with the changeless green of 
the tropical forest, where we had been buried for months, was 
found in the wide stretches of cultivated lands, with here and there 
a 'dobe house surrounded by groves of orange or mango trees. 
Here we saw fields of corn, rice (the upland variet3%) acres of 
beans and patches of vegetables, with an occasional space devoted 
to pineapples or bananas, and at rare intervals a clump of cocoanut 
palms; but the thought that filled the heart of the writer with joy, 
was deeper than the valley, higher than than the mountains, wider 
than the landscape, for he knew that one of those tiny white 
specks in the distance was a hotel, and once there the sad eyed 
mules would be turned out to graze in the meadows and the well- 
worn hammocks, pack saddles, high-topped boots and huge spurs 
would be piled together in a shed to rest indefinitely, and that he 
would enjoy the luxury of a bed and regular meals served on the 
table, with a chair for a seat and a printed bill of fare. Good bye 
tortillas, good bye frijoles; welcome soup, fish, roast beef, white 
bread, salads, and best of all pie — American pie ! 

If the reader thinks the writer over enthusiastic on this sub- 
ject let him follow his example and loose himselt in the depths of 
the wilderness of Yoro, with a hammock for a bed, a log for a 
table, a native for a cook, tortillas and frijoles for breakfast, frijoles 
and tortillas for dinner-and for supper-why, tortillas of course, with 
frijoles — tortillas baked on a stone, served on a board, sans salt, 
sans butter; but I almost forgot; we had coffee — black, powerful, 
all conquering, without milk or sugar; served in a gourd. All this 
was delightfnl for a week or two. The novelty of it was charming; 
it seemed like a dream at first, but it became terribly realistic as 
the months passed by. Swallowed up by the wilderness, lost to 
the world, no letters, no papers, no gossip, no familiar face, no 
familiar sound; but it is over at last. Before us lies the land of 
promise, the city of our desire — land of rest, of peace, of pie! 

Tegucigalpa, the capitol city, is the largest town in Honduras, 
containing about 15,000 people, mostly natives, but having a fair 
sprinkling of American, English and German merchants, wdth a 
few French and a half dozen Chinese. The city is pleasantly situ- 
ated on the banks of the Rio Grande, which is here spanned by 
the only bridge in the republic. This bridge is a notable structure, 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



161 



liaving been built about a century ago. The materials used are 
t>urned brick laid in a cement of peculiar hardness so that the 
whole seems as though hewn out of solid rock. The city has an 
elevation of 3,400 feet, and enjoys a delightful climate— a per- 
petual June with a mid-day temperature a little lower than 
Comayagna, while the nights are a little warmer. Uke all 
old Spanish towns the houses are built of adobe, with wide 
projecting eaves that almost meet over some of the narrowest 
streets. Although the buildings are nearly all one story, I 
noticed one three story and several two story blocks on the prin- 
,cipal business thoroughfare. All structures, both public and pri- 
vate, are built flush with the streets, which are paved from wall to 
wall with cobble 
stones, sloping 
down gradually 
from the sides to 
the center, an 
arragement that 
converts every 
street into a riv- 
er during the 
rainy season. 

The town is 
practically fire- 
proof. The mas- 
sive walls, aver- 
aging four feet 



<^ 

in thickness, are surmounted by roofs of burned tiles. There 
are no stoves, and no chimneys, the fire being built on the 
floor, the smoke escaping through the spaces between the raf- 
ters at the eaves, which are always left open for ventilation. Ordi- 
narily they have no windows, all the light coming in through the 
large doorways, which gives the house somewhat the appearance 
of a cave; however, they are admirably adapted to the climate, 
being as cool as cellars in summer and almost as cheerful. There 
are a few wealthy families whose residences are palatial in 
extent and elegant in their appointments. These houses are 
built around an open court, with large doors and projecting win- 
dows facing both street and garden. In these, the drawing rooms 




162 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

and parlors are furnished in Oriental luxury. Tlie windows are 
made a pleasing feature. Instead of sash and glass, they are fitted 
with iron screens wrought in fancy patterns, the designs often 
betraying great ingenuity and artistic ability of a high order. The 
floors are laid with cOvStly tiles and covered with a profusion of 
rugs. Chairs, tables, stands, bookselves, etc., are made by the 
native workmen, who display great skill in carving the beautiful 
woods of the country, which seem especially adapted for the pur- 
pose by reason of their fine grain and rich, deep color. In the 
chambers one is astonished to find polished brass bedsteads hung 
with silk curtains, while doors and windows are richly draped 
with costly fabrics imported from Paris at an immense cost, for 
every case of goods must be carried by men or mules over eight)^ 
miles of mountain roads. 

Tegucigalpa is an Indian word, or rather a combination of 
two Indian words, which, literally interpreted, means mountain 
of silver. It is the presence of this metal that gives the town what 
little prominence it enjoys aside from being the seat of governmant. 
Although there are no mines in the immediate vicinity, the city is 
the base of supply for a number of large concerns within four or 
five leagues, so, while there is no factory, or railroad, or car- 
riages, or anything to suggest the activity common to a town of the 
same size in the United States, there is nevertheless considerable 
bustle on the streets. lyong trains of mules are continually arriv- 
ing and departing, with their noisy drivers clad in picturesque 
rags. Prospectors from other fields are coming in with high 
hopes, others are leaving the country, cursing their luck and hurl- 
ing imprecations againt the republic and its representatives from the 
President down. Others, who have met with success, will tell 5^ou 
there is no other land equal to this. These cannot find language 
sufficiently glowing to express their admiration of the State and 
its institutions. Of course, as in all such cases, the truth lies 
between the two extremes. 

I have only the friendliest feeling for these people. Wherever 
we went we were treated with the greatest courtesj^, receiving every 
attention and assistance from all classes, beginning with the 
President and running down the scale to the humble citizen who- 
represents the office of "Boots" at the "Americano," and who per- 
formed his duties with the air of a man who condescends to serve 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 163 

you, not that he cares for the insignificant rm/ which you will drop 
in his hand, but because you needed his friendly aid. 

But to return to the city. The only building worthy of men- 
tion, from an artistic standpoint, is the old cathedral, which is a 
really fine example of Moorish architecture, and when seen under 
the soft light of the moon becomes a dream of beauty. Scarred by 
revolutions, seamed by earthquakes, stained by the storms of a 
century, overgrown with grass and weeds, which have taken root 
in every crevice in roof and wall, this old structure with its pictu- 
resque towers and deep toned-bells, presents a most interesting 
study. The mint, a long, low building with walls so thick that 
hardly a sound of the heavy stamps is heard outside, would not 
attract attention except for the guard that patrols the square. 
From $15,000 to $25,000 per month represents its activity, I'm 
told. There is a beautiful little park filled with flowers and shrub- 
bery, divided by walks laid out with geometric precision, with a 
rustic balcony hidden by flowering vines, from which the military 
band discourses music patriotic or pathetic, as the case may be. 
Here, too, is found a really fine equestrian statue of Francisco Mor- 
azan, the Washington of Honduras. This is the popular prome- 
nade, and if you wish to meet a friend, or enemy, all you have to do 
is to take a seat near the main entrance, and ten to one you'll find 
your man, or woman, for that matter, in less than a quarter of an 
hour, for here every one of any consequence will be found regu- 
larly taking their daily constitutional. Here comes a group of 
merchants walking as though for a wager and talking like 
machines, now a stately old don, sauntering slowly, never in a 
hurry, never surprised, but always polite, observing every require- 
ment of etiquette with religious exactness, now a handsome senora 
of the old school, followed by a bevy of brighteyed senoritas, their 
pretty heads filled with frivolous fancies, absorbed from the latest 
French novels. Spanish ladies are all beautiful walkers, and, as 
an artist I feel privileged to admire these fairy-like figures floating 
by so airily, their delicate shoulders enveloped in clouds of lace 
that shimmer faintly, like a wreath of mist in the twilight. Here 
they come again their black eyes sparkling with mirth, cheeks 
aglow, ruby lips, teeth like pearls, glossy tresses arranged so car- 
lessly, yet with what consumate art. Ah ! beware young man ! 
arrows are flying here and lucky indeed is the youth who escapes 



164 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



without a scratch. 

If any of my readers should ever visit this city I am sure they 
will stop at the "Hotel Americano," not only because it is a pleas- 
ant place to tarry, but because it is the only hostlery in the city. 
This hotel enjoys some special favors under government protection 
and is the only public house I know of that receives regularly, a 
pension, if I may use the term, amounting to $40 a month b}^ act 
of Congress. Here you will find almost everything you ever 
heard of and some things besides on the bill of fare. You will be 
sure of courteous treatment and cheerful attendants, but do not 
expect electric lights, or callbells, ortelephone, and do not send for a 
cab or ask when the train will arrive; do not look for the hj^drant, 
for all the water is carried from the river in huge jars, and you 
will get 3'our share in due time; do not wait for the whistle at 
noon; do not listen for the screech of the locomotive or the discor- 
dant clang of its bell. The only sound of the night is the murmur 
of the water as it frets drowsily among the piers of the old bridge. 
Read, sleep, dream, and forget for a time all the worries, cares 
and restlessness of the orreat world abroad. 




CHAPTER X. 

TEGUCIGAI.PA — INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT BOGRAN — OFE FOR 
THE COAST — ARRIVE AT AMAPALA. 

Tegucigalpa, however, is not always thus silent and restful; 
they have their feast days and national holidays, the former follow 
one another with frightful frequency. During these occasions 
there is rest for neither body nor soul. Pandemonium reigns. 
Noise — noise — noise — for centuries these people have racked their 
brains to invent instruments for producing sounds of the most 
u'nearthly character and infinite variety. So we have every device 
for the purpose that the mind can conceive, each fiendish contriv- 
ance run to its full capacity. 

The fifteenth of September is a great national holiday and 
preparations for its celebration begins a week in advance of that 
date. Every night witnesses a preliminary outburst, each excell- 
ing the last, until the grand climax is reached on the evening of 
the day in question, which usually results in the loss of eyes, legs, 
arms, and heads sometimes. 

Referring to my note book I find the following under date of 
September 11. — "Beautiful moonlight night; sitting on the upper 
gallery overlooking the court yard; busy scene; new arrivals con- 
stantly appearing covered with dust, strange costumes, miners 
attired in red flannel shirts, blue pants, huge riding boots, great 
jingling spurs, shaggy beards, some hopelul, others disconsolate; 
Mozos dashing hither and thither; a mixed crowd; clatter of 
dishes in the dining hall tells of appetites whetted by long rides 
over the mountains; from the bar comes the cheerful clinking of 
glasses and loud laughter, a confused murmur of many voices in 
many languages. Suddenly the church bells began to ring, all at 
once, not as we ring bells at home, but each one struck rapidlv 
with a hammer, there are about twelve churches and each has 
from three to six bells. A man or bo}^ is appointed to pound each 
one of these, striking hard and rapidly, horrible tumult; can the 
town be on fire? Impossible, there's nothing, to burn, mud walls 
three feet thick, roofs tiled — fire-proof town. Suddenly a blaze of 
rockets lights the sky, next a flash of red light, followed by loud 



166 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

cheers, then white and blue lights follow, more j^ells, we go to the 
plaza, a dense crowd of men, women and children fill ever)' avail- 
able space, all laughing, talking, j^elling, smoking. In the center 
of the square madly charging to the right and left was a bull, cov- 
ered with a framework to which hundreds of roman candles were 
attached. These w^ere connected by a slowly burning fuse. The 
effect was startling, the populous were fairly wild with excitement. 
Pushing our way through the struggling, screaming mass of 
humanity, we discovered that the "bull" was simply a skin skill- 
fully stretched, with head and horns complete and was carried by 
two men, whose bodies were hidden within the framework, with 
the exception of their legs. The roman candles were sent in ever}^ 
direction into the crowd, rockets filled the sk}^ fare crackers and 
guns added to the carnival of noise, besides boys were beating tin 
pans, blowing tin horns, pounding woodens boxes. We wonder 
what invention will be brought into use to swell this din on the 
great 15th, and silently pray that we may be far away among the 
mountains." One daj^ longing for official society, I called an 
interpreter and together we made our way to the executive man- 
sion by courtesy called the "palace," for the purpose of calling on 
the President. 

The officer on guard bowed ver);- low when I presented my 
card and invited us to be seated, while he handed the bit of paste 
board to a subordinate with orders to gfve it to the O. S., who in 
turn passed it to the I. S. and from him to a page, who carried it 
to the great man who presided over the destinies of the republic. 
In the course of a few minutes we were waited upon by an officer in 
brilliant uniform, who conducted us through some shadowy pas- 
sages which finall}' led to a large, well-lighted and handsomeh' 
furnished apartment. Here we found the General surrounded b)' 
a number of officers of the army. He looked somewhat weary, but 
shook hands cordially. As he spoke onl}^ Spanish and French 
and the reporter nothing but United States and Cherokee, our 
conversation was not marked b}^ any great degree of amination, 
however, with aid of the interpreter we got along prettj" well. 
After a few preliminary remarks, the President inquired what 
"concession" I desired. When he learned that I was simply trav- 
eling for pleasure and was not seeking permission or assistance to 
drill wells or tunnels, build roads, construct canals or waterworks. 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



167 



and did not care to incorporate a company to manufacture ice or 
electric light, and would not dig gold, silver, iorn, copper, coal or 
salt, or even open a stone quarry or start a cracker bakery or a liv- 
ery stable, in fact had no favors to ask, and no wish to engage in 
any business whatever, at the expense, and under the protection of 
the government, and furthermore hated work with as deadly a 
hatred as any Spaniard, he fell on my neck and wept. The scene 
was very affecting but as our time was now up, I disengaged 
myself from his warm embrace and with hearts too full for words, 
we silently shook hands and parted. Some persons may think 
this scene exaggerated and possibly it is, but it is impossible to 
exaggerate in regard to the "Snap Hunters," who are arriving 
every day with some great improvement scheme with which they 
would oppress this poor but 
happy people. Still they 
come, a never ending pro- 
cession from France, Germ- 
any, England, the United 
States, schemers seeking 
"concesssions" from the gov- 
ernment to secure the sole 
control of some wildcat opera- 
tion, gigantic plans of devel- 
opment or improvement by 
which the republic is to reap 
millions and the projector, 
und3ang fame. Railroads, 
bridges, canals, highways, 
each have a loud representa- 
tive at the Capitol filling the 
ears of the distracted Exec- 
utive with their magnificient 
offers. 

The day of our visit the 
President had been waited gkn. louis brogan. 

upon by an agriculturlist from Virginia, who has discovered that the 
hope of the republic lies in its agricultural resources, "all you 
need" he declared, is a few ideas in regard to the proper cultiva- 
tion of the soil." He felt that his mission was to introduce these 




168 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



innovations and simply asked the privilege of cultivating a little 
patch ten miles square for a period of twenty years, the govern- 
ment to furnish the necessary labor and tools, which he vowed would 
be but a slight remuneration for the time and talent required to 
turn so much wilderness into a blooming garden. 

There is a paper published here known as the "Honduras 
Progress. " It is probably the only sheet in the republic printed 
entirelv in English. It is not as large as the New York World 
(Sunday Edition,) consequentl}^ cannot give space to so man}- 
obselete jokes, though it does well for its size, four pages 10 x 14 
inches; this territory is cleverly divided between advertising and 
anecdotes, with an occasional editorial when other matter cannot 
be. found. 

The Editor and proprietor. Dr. R. Fritzgartner, keeps fully 
abreast of the times, as times go in Honduras. The Doctor is 
also "Government Geologist," but this does not prevent his taking 
a hand in the weather which he tends to every week with the 
usual disregard to the wishes of the people; What makes it worse, 
he publishes the result regularly. 

By consulting the columns of the Honduras Progress we find 
that for the seven days ending with March 21, 1892, the citizens of 
Tegucigalpa were forced to endure a "minimum" and "maxi- 
mum" temperature as follows : 

March 15, 64 F. (Min.) 85 F. (Max.) 



" 16, 


64 ■ 


88 


" 17, 


65 


86 


" 18, 


61 


86 


" 19, 


63 


83 


" 20, 


68 


84 


" 21, 


68 


87 



That's a pretty fair lot of weather for one week. 453 minimum 
degrees to say nothing of 599 maximum degrees, the doctor 
ought certainl}" to be reprimanded for such reckless waste of 
material. That number of maximum and minimum degrees 
might have been spread over a whole month and the citizens 
would have been just as happ)- and well satisfied. 

In connection with the weather department w^e find other 
information regarding the location of the Capitol City. We give it 
here so that if any reader should wish to find it he could do so 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



169 



with his e5'es .shut, ahiiost. All that would be necessary would 
be to go to Greenwich, start west, but parallel with the line of the 
equator, walking, wading, swiming or flying, as the condition of 
the road might demand, to a point 87" 10 degrees, thence south, but 
parallel with some longitudinal line (you can take your choice) to 
another point 14" 15 degrees north of aforesaid equator. If, follow- 
ing the lines indicated, the traveler has kept resolutely on a level 

with the ocean, 
which of course 
would necessitate 
some tunnelling in 
places, he would 
find himself just 
3,400 feet below 
the office of the 
enterprising H. P. 
Naturally he would 
take the elevator. 
All this is very 
interesting and in- 
structive, and when 
the public comes to 
realize that every 
issue of the H. P. 
is loaded to the 
muzzle with infor- 
mation of equal value, the subscription list will swell rapidly. 

The H. P. is a regular encyclopedia of useful knowledge, 
some of the facts are almost startling. For instance, under the 
head of "Merchandise imported in Honduras," we find under 
"Class A" a duty of 50 cents per lb. but notwithstanding this 
almost prohibitive tariff, there were imported during the fiscal year 
20 lbs. sponges, 28 lbs. blue mass and 250 lbs. of guitar strings and 
318 lbs. of garters. These facts are interesting, and the student of 
political economy may be able to figure out what became of those 
garters in a country where stockings are not in style. We never 
saw one, though the field for such goods seemed very large indeed. 
In Class X, the duty is 80 cents per lb. and the importations of rid- 
ing gloves amounted to 5 lbs. while that of woolen shawls reached 




the; gaming rkal ne;ar petoa. 



170 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

the alarming total of 2,905 lbs. Class XI with a duty of $1.50 per 
lb. tells a story of vault}' seldom equalled b}' any other couutr}'. 
It includes billiard balls, jewelry, silks and velvet. Of the first 
21 lbs. were entered, while the importations of silk shawls rose to 
5,682 lbs! Don't tell us it costs nothing to dress in Honduras. 
This is the one indispensible article which the belles of Honduras 
demand, and which they will have regardless of consequences. 
They come in every imaginable shade and are brilliantl}^ embroid- 
ered in colors equally striking, but when we remember that this 
one garment takes the place of hat, shoes, waist and skirt, and 
that the lady possessing one of these beautiful patterns with a pair 
of garters, is inWy equipped for any emergency, we ought surely to 
look upon this expenditure as quite modest and commendable. 

But the H. P. is still bubbling over with information, under 
another class we find the necessities of life, which Includes absyn- 
the, brand}', rum, etc., and we are not suprised to note the kind 
forethough of a considerate administration w^hich has placed the 
tariff on these staples at 16 cents per lb. so that the 26 tons of 
brandy that the custom house records show to have been imported 
during the past year, only enriched the government to the amount 
of $8331.36 against $8523.00 received on account of silk shawls. 
Surel}^ as long as the brandy tax can be kept below that of silks 
and garters there ought to be no cause for domestic strife. 

There is other matter in the H. P. but we don't feel free to 
use it. The Editor permits us to say that the price of the paper is 
$2.00 per year strictly in advance. The "advance" clause is pro- 
bably his little joke. But after all there is not a better, a worthier, 
or a kinder man in all Honduras, and the success that has been his 
has been fairly earned and well deserved, and his merit, as a gen- 
tlemen and scholar are freely acknowledged by his fellow citizens 
w^ho unite in praising his work both as a Geologist and Journalist. 

We left Tegucigalpa on the morning of the 14th starting about 
4 p. M. We did this in order to escape the "racket" that had 
alread}' begun. The distance to Amapala is about 75 miles, the 
road passably good with the exception of a few places where wash- 
outs had occured and a few other places where a half mile or so of 
track has been buried under an avalanche of rock and rubbish. 
The scener}' was fine, but quite different from the Atlantic Coast. 
There was very little to suggest a tropical climate. The moun- 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 171 

tains were more rugged and barren, the trees, mostly oak and pine, 
with wide openings. We crossed some extensive fields of coarse 
gravel that would not support a blade of grass. The only vegeta- 
tion found on these wastes was the cactus, which seem to delight 
in such surroundings. 

As usual, we stopped when and where we chose. At one 
place we tarried to watch a "bull chase," this was on the 15th and 
the gallants had gathered at the little village of San Antonia to 
celebrate the event. All were dressed in their best and mounted 
on the tough little horses of the country. In the center of the 
plaza a huge bull was pawing the earth, bellowing fiercely. At a 
given signal the horseman approached, one of them being armed 
with a long, sharp pointed pike, with which he prodded his bull- 
ship until he charged, then away they flew. The game was to 
keep out of the animals way, while one or another would dash np 
behind the enraged beast, seize it by the tail, and by suddenly 
veering to the right or left, throw the animal. The one succeed- 
ing in this would be the winner, and all the rest would be expected 
to "treat." We saw the feat successfully performed several times 
and noted the growing hilarity of the crowd who were gradually 
being affected by the frequent doses of "Aguardiente." Once, the 
bull, quite discouraged, made a mad rush into a house and we 
heard loud sceams as the women and children fled out the rear 
door. As fast as one animal was worn out, another was procured, 
and thus the sport went on. 

One morning we were startled by a mysterious sound, or 
rather a series of sounds that came apparently from the depths of 
the mountains — in all our lives we had never heard such dismal 
wails, sometimes they would sink to a dnll groan, then gradually 
rise to a wild shriek, now a single voice, now a duet, now a 
chorus; as usual, when in doubt we appealed' to Don Pedro, who 
at once set our minds at rest, though he seemed somewhat aston- 
ished if not actually annoyed by our ignorance. However, the 
worthy Don is nothing if not a diplomat, so he swallowed his 
idignation and smiling blandly informed us that there was noth- 
ing to fear, as the peculiar noise was produced by the verj- simple 
process of grinding cane in a native mill, and promised that we 
would pass the same before noon. The guide was right, about 
two hours later we saw a cloud of steam rising above the trees, just 



172 A HoOvSiER IN Honduras. 

ahead of us, and were glad of an excuse for stopping a while; we 
found four scantilj^ attired Indians in charge; they seemed socially 
inclined and we spent a pleasant half hour, looking over the plant, 
not that it required so much time, but simply because there was no 
hurr)^ and Pizarro, in his companion seemed so well pleased with 
the scenery that we could not bear to interrupt their reveries. 

Our friends were "boiling down" as our maple sugar makers 
would say, their object being to convert the syrup into sugar, 
which is of the coarsest qualit}-, of a dark brown color, this is put 
up in small packages of one or two pounds, each of these being 
carefully wrapped in corn husks which were skillfully woven 
together at the ends so that when finished they somewhat resem- 
bled ears of corn. The outfit was not extensive, the machinery 
being of the most primitive pattern, the entire structure was made 
of timbers roughly hewn, the crushing apparatus was a marvel of 
complexity, consisting of a number of wooden rollers operated by a 
system of cogs and interlocking shafts, the whole being an inven- 
tion of a native by the name of Julio Fiallos Ponciano Lozano, he 
he probably owned other names but they had escaped — however, 
his machine still stands a monument to his ingenuity. Although it 
had been in operation for more than quarter of a century it had 
never been oiled, and the frightful sounds produced by the creak- 
ing of the wooden mechinism can never be described — the motive 
power was found in a couple of small oxen — not more than half 
the juice was saved by the crude process, but that was a matter of 
small concern, as there was scarcely any market for the product, 
so the proprietor informed us. At one side a half dozen cattle w^ere 
eagerly devouring the half crushed canes — we purchased a few 
packages at a real each — and left the proprietor and family feeling 
very proud and happy, for the words of praise and liberal patron- 
age bestowed. 

We arrived at San lyorenzo one afternoon about 2 o'clock. 
For several hours we had been traveling through a fiat countrj^ 
almost barren. The heat was intense and it was with some pleas- 
ure that we discerned the huge iorn roofed sheds of the Rosaria 
Mining Co. of New York, which were used as a general supply 
station for the mines operated by that corporation. At the time 
of our arrival the main structure was filled with giant powder, 
packed in cases and piled one on another from floor to roof. 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



173 



While we rested in the grateful shade of these metal roofs, we 
could not help wondering where we would land in case the twenty 
tons of explosive should be found by a vagrant spark from the 
pipes of some natives who were lounging in the shadow of one of 
the walls, smoking quite unconcerned. A hundred yards away 
some other natives were cooking over a brush fire, which now and 
then started the dry grass in the vicinity and was only extin- 
guished by a lively fight with wet blankets for weapons. How- 
ever, no one seemed alarmed and we did not wish to appear to dis- 
advantage, so we lit our cigars and lolled in the shade like the 
rest, nevertheless we wondered which one of the planets would 
receive us in case of an accident. Twenty tons of powder requires 
a good deal of room when it expands to its fullest capacity, and we 
knew it would be entirely too crowded for us on that coast, but we 
didn't mention it. 

Here we parted with our 
mules — and were not sorry. 
From this point we would 
proceed by boat. Though 
we could not avoid a feeling 
of regret as we shook hands 
with our good angels for the 
last time, for they had,, 
proved verj^ faithful, but. 
angels as well as men must go 
their waj's, so after an hours 
repose and a good square 
meal, father and son, each _ 

mounted on our riding ani- ^'^%$^^'^'^'h'^^'°l^'^^f- 

mals and leading .the two 

packs, started on the return trip, hoping to reach the village of 
Nacoame before nightfall. 

It now occured to us to look for our boat, and presently we 
found it, a disreputable bungay, lying on one side in a mud bank, 
which bordered an oozy plain that stretched away to the westward 
and ended apparently in a wilderness of mangrove trees. Not a 
drop of water was in sight, yet we were to take the boat at this 
point. Meanwhile, the craft was straightened up by the united 
efforts of five wild looking creatures, who had been engaged to 
take us across to Amapala. 




174 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

Amapala is the chief port of entree for the republic and its 
most important town on the Pacific coast. It is situated on Tigre 
Island in the Bay of Fonseca, seventeen miles from the mainland. 
Here we found Mr. JacolDi, special agent for the Rosario. He was 
on his wa}^ to New York, having been "buried twelve months'" as 
he termed it "in Honduras." He was also bound for Amapala, so 
w^e embarked in the same vessel. It seemed very odd to be sitting 
here in the midst of a wilderness waiting for the ocean to come to 
us. To all appearances w-e might be a thousand miles from the 
sea, .but there was our Bungay with its single square sail, and 
there were the villianous looking sailors stretched in the shade 
of the powder shed. They were a picturesque lot and wicked 
looking. Each wore a stout leather belt, which, in addition to 
supporting their linen pants served as a resting place for a massive, 
old time pistol dating back to the fifteenth century perhaps. They 
w^ore neither shoes nor shirt and for headgear a bright red handker- 
' chief tied turban fashion answered every purpose. From beneath 
this lurid covering their long, black locks fell in straggling 
streamers. They looked like murderers. There were five of them 
thorougly armed. We were only three. 

The wilderness of mangrove swamp extended in every direc- 
tion for leagues. We were miles from any town, our valises were 
heavy with the silver coin of the country, night w^as approaching, 
the white herons were already returning from their distant feeding 
grounds, a lonely pelican was seen flying heavily, its great pouch 
distended with the fish it was carrying home to a hungry family. 
About 4 p. M. or a little later we saw the water swnrling up 
through the forest to the west, another half hour it had crossed the 
flat marsh and washed the keel of our boat. It was a strange 
sight, a splendid sight, it advanced slowly but grandly. A long 
line of silver gleaming between the trees was the first evidence we 
had of its approach. On it came like a rapidly rising river, there 
was a pleasant murmur of tiny waves, the air became fresh, 
it was the air of the ocean, invigorating, life-giving, driving 
back the heavy malaria laden atmosphere of the swamps. In a 
little while our boat swung clear, passengers and crew took their 
places, the captain at the helm, while the four sailors seized the 
oars and soon were bearing down toward what seemed a solid wall 
of foliage, but just as we expected to be wedged fast among the 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 175 

maze of roots and decaying logs, the captain suddenly veered a 
point to the right and we glided into a narrow channel just wide 
enough to admit the boat. A couple of miles through a series of 
leafy tunnels brought to the open sea just at sunset. In a 
few minutes it was quite dark. The oarsmen pulled steadily. 
With each stroke they rose to their feet sinking back on the seat as 
the oars left the water, thus for four long hours they rose and fell 
with the regularity of machines. The sail was not used, the wind 
being unfavorable. The sea glowed with phosphorescent light, 
looking down in the clear water we could plainly trace the move- 
ments of the fish by this peculiar radiance. 

We arrived at Amapala about midnight, finding all shops 
closed and streets deserted. Strolling along, what appeared to be 
the main thoroughfare, we were challenged by a sentry, who, 
when we failed to halt promptly, clapped his hands loudly and two 
other ragmuffins suddenly appeared. The two recruits were armed 
with rifles and seemed anxious to use them. They demanded an 
explanation. Mr. Jacobi, who speaks Spanish like a native, told 
them that we had come to take the town, but had changed our 
minds and were now simply looking for a hotel, and producing a 
bottle from his traveling bag he passed it to the guardian of the 
night who had first accosted us. He held it up a moment between 
his eyes and the sky, then throwing his head back placed the long, 
slim neck to his lips gradually increasing the angle of elevation 
until it stopped on the central bar of the southern cross. In the 
darkness, a stranger might have mistaken him for an astronomer, 
who had come out to study that splendid constellation, but we 
knew better. There was a low gurgling sound that was soothing 
to the ear. Although so dark, we could see a smile of satisfaction 
playing over the angular features, "gracias Senor, muchesimas 
gracias," and added "Buena" as he passed the telescope to his 
companion, who elevated the instrument in the same way, 
although his interest seemed to be centered in a group of stars sev- 
eral degrees higher, and when the third fellow's turn arrived, we 
were not surprised to see him fix his gaze on the zenith where it 
rested until the last drop had been drained and those peculiar gurg- 
ling sounds quite ceased. 

We were now on the best of terms. It's wonderful how a bot- 
tle of brandy smooths the way in this country. We had noted it's 



176 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



magic effect ou former occasions. It's a regular Alladiu's lamp, 
it breaks down every barrier, opens all the secret places. Our 
challengers now became our guides and leading us through a uum- 
ber of narrow deserted lanes, stopped before the only hostelr}- in 
the place, which was closed and dark, but not long. One of 
our friends turned his heavy gun into a battering ram and attacked 
the door with such vigor that the landlord soon appeared in a 

great rage, demanding" "who in the d 1" we were and what 

we wanted at that time of night, but seeing the soldiers with their 
guns, he at once became very meek and inquired what he could do 
for us. Our friends then explained to him that we were a partj^ of 
eminent Americans, who had just arrived on a tour of inspection 
and would stop with him several days. Thc}^ said we were friends 
of Gen. Bogran and intimated that anything he could do for us 
would be appreciated by the President — so much for the molifing 
effect of a sip of brandy in the still hours of night. With this 
introduction, we were made welcome at once and the obsequeous 
inn-keeper hurried hither and thither in his efforts to provide for 
our comfort. Servants were rudely aw^akened and in less than 

thirty minutes the best the 
house afforded was brought 
forth. I^ess important guests 
were routed out and given 
cots or hammocks in the little 
court in the rear — an3^wheie 
at all to make room for the 
friends of the President. 
After a substantial lunch and 
a quite smoke, we sought 
our room, a large apartment 
containing three old fashioned 
beds protected by a canopy 
of netting, beneath which 
we plunged without loss of 
time. The house had be- 
come quite still, and the only sound of the night was the low 
moaning of the surf, beating hopelessly over the lava rocks that 
line the harbor. 

Amapala is a small place very similar to other Spanish towns, 




DR. fritzg\rtve;r 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 177 

except that the buildings are frame, many of them of a most tem- 
porary character; population about 3,000. 

In my note book I find the following entrees : 

September 20 — Met a genuine Carib in the park today, recog- 
nized him at once as a Belize man, not that I had ever seen him 
before but by his voice and expression, it belongs to Belize alone 
and once heard will never be forgotten. I asked him what he was 
doing so far from home. He said, ' I'm a prisoner sah!" — a priso- 
ner! I felt a sudden chill, had I wandered unconsciously into for- 
bidden ground? perhaps I was a prisoner also. Here was this 
man apparently free as the air, stretched at full lenghth in the 
shadow of a large tree, smoking most comfortably. Further 
inquiry developed the fact that he had been detected smuggling 
sugar into Truxillo and had been brought over here to work three 
months on the public improvements. A little distance awaj- I dis- 
covered a couple of soldiers, his guards, both were sitting in the 
shade, smoking and chatting. Occasionally during the day the 
prisoner was called upon to move some boards or carry some mortar 
for a mason, who was engaged in building the foundation or pedes- 
tal for a monument. As the mason rested nearly all the time 
his attendant was left to sit and dream or wander about the place 
at will. He seemed quite contented and would have been better 
pleased with a years sentence. 

September 21 — Still waiting for the steamer, getting impatient 
— later, have made arrangements to cross the bay in a Bungay, 
start to-night about 11 p. m. anticipate a disagreeable trip, the cap- 
tian says he can make the distance, about 90 miles in 20 hours. 

September 22 — Board Bungay, Bay of Fonseca, left port 11 
o'clock last night, very hot, wind dead against us, packed in like 
sardines, frequent showers, sail useless, men rowing, town still in 
sight. 

Evening — Still on board, tired, 14 passengers beside the crew, 
every inch of space filled , only change of position is from sitting to 
standing. Chinaman deathly sick, lays in the bottom of the boat 
like a log and groans, here we meet the long, rolling swell of the 
Pacific, nearly every wave washes over the side of the Bungay, 
two men are forced to desert the oars and bail, heat excessive — a 
large whale, a few hundred yards to the leeward, pursued by 
sword fish, lashes the sea into a white froth. The huge creature 



178 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

leaps out of the water, falling back with a tremendous splash, 
exciting scene — will he cross our path? We are loaded almost to 
the water's edge, if we should be struck we would certainlj' be 
lost; never was combat watched greater interest, and never were 
men more relieved when we saw them drifting to the northward, 
where we could see the white foam glistening in the sunlight for 
nearly an hour longer. 

September 23 — Still on this horrid Bungay, nearh' dead from 
hunger, thirst and loss of sleep, provisions mostly ruined b}^ salt 
water, only a few crackers remain and those well soaked, but we 
are across and sailing up the Rio Grande, where we will land some 
time to-daj-. Later — We landed about 10 a. m. at the custom 
house, the most desolate place I have ever seen, high tide covers 
all the land for miles around and this miserable hut stands on 
stilts about eight above the ground. No other habitation in sight, 
uothing but mangrove swamps, stretching away forever. 

Tampesqua, September 24 — We thought morning would never 
come, the air was filled with mosquitoes and we at their merc}% no 
sleep, spent the night in battle and got the worst of it, sorry look- 
ing crowd, fairly raw from thousands of bites, faces red and swol- 
len. This was our introduction into Nicaragua. Carts arrived 
about 10 A. M., never so glad to see anyone before, the driver lost 
no time, blindfolded the team — only way to keep them still, being 
distracted by flies. Started at a 11 a. m. through a dreary forest, 
heavy two- wheeled carts, wheels solid wood, the creaking could be 
heard for miles. Away we go, over logs, stones, bump — bump — 
bump — will we live to reach town? 

Chinandega, 25 — Town of about 10,000 built on a level plain, 
the long, muddy, unpaved streets stretch away into the distance lined 
with houses of ever\- form and color, some adobe, but more frame 
and mau)^ bamboo, with thatched roofs, through whose basket-like 
walls the movements of the inmates are easil}' observed. I^ine 
fences represented by cactus hedges. Behind these living walls we 
we sometimes ca*ught glimpses of shady little j'-ards with orange 
trees, or a few stalks of bananas. A 5 o'clock gun arouses the 
people in the morning and from that hour tell 10 a. m. the streets 
present a busj' appearance." 

We now felt that our troubles were over. It seemed to us that 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 179 ■ 

we had advanced a thousand miles during the past twenty-four 
hours. Here we were, enjoying our ease with all the comforts of 
a good hotel, the "Reforma,"tJais time yesterday we were suffering 
unspeakable torture in the horrible swamps of Tampeaqua. Here 
we would take the train, and from this on we would travel by rail 
or steamer. 

Nicaragua boasts but one railroad, but it is well cared for and 
trains run regularly making good time. The road is kept in 
excellent order. The government looks after it, and having noth- 
ing for her vagabond soldiers to do, they are employed to care of 
the road and stations. The track is well ballasted, all grass and 
weeds kept closely cut for a distance of 25 feet on each side of 
the rails. Station houses are of modern design and neatly painted. 
Officers polite and attentive. Passengers are divided into three 
classes. First, second and third. The highest rate, which pays 
for a seat in a modern coach, is 5 cents per mile. A second class 
ticket entitles the holder to the same privileges excepting, that the 
seats run lengthwise of the car and the traveler must sit with his 
back to the window — in other respects the coach is just as desira- 
ble and the majorty of tickets sold, read "Second Class," the rate 
being 3 J/2 cents. Third class tickets are sold at the low rate of 2 
cents per mile and the purchasers are carried in cattle cars, pro- 
vided with rough board seats. 

There is no danger of having to stand during a journey by 
rail, in Nicaragua, as the company will only sell as many tickets 
as there are seats, so after securing a ticket there is no occasion to 
make a wild rush for the train, as your place will be reserved. A 
half dozen soldiers each armed with Sprinfield repeating rifles and 
under the command of a flashily uniformed officer, will be found at 
every depot, guarding alike the interests of the road and its pat- 
rons. 

Trains are usually filled, and the road seemed to be in a pros- 
perous condition. The engineers were all Americans as well as 
the General Manager. 

We left Chinandega about 8 o'clock, September 26, and^t\vo 
hours later found ourselves in^ the; metropolis ^of^, Nicaragua, the 
ancient city of lycon. 




HOMEWARD BOrND. 



CHAPTER XI. 

CITY OF I^EON — AN HONEST CABMiVN — MOMOTOMBO — STORM ON 
LAKE MANAGUA — ARRIVE AT THE CAPITOE — ITS INDUSRRIES. 

The city of IvCon contains about 30,000 inhabitants and covers 
an area sufficiently extensive to accommodate 3,C0O,0CO or there- 
about. Here we found many cabs awaiting the arrival of the 
train, not to mention the donkey carts and ox teams. A scene so 
full of life and hustle was inspiring. There were news boys, boot- 
blacks, porters and many women carrying large wooden trays 
piled high with confectionery, sweet bread, pies, fruits of the coun- 
try. Competition was brisk among the various venders, and our 
party was soon surrounded by a boisterous crowd, who tried to 
force their wares on our attention. Finding ourselves unable to 
patronize each of these vociferous applicants, we made a dash for a 
cab bearing the legend "Hotel I^eou de ora," and a few moments 
later we found ourselves before this picturesque hostelry. The 
"lyeon de ora" is not the largest or finest hotel in the world, but to 
us, fresh from the wilds of Honduras, it seemed a palace — a para- 
dise. Here we enjoyed all the luxuries of civilization. Thanks 
to American enterprise, the railroad that connects this city with 
Managua brings a plentiful supply of ice every morning from the 
plant at the capitol. This means a great deal to the dweller in 
tropical countries. Cards tacked up about the house announced, 
"ice water 5 cents a glass, unless served with other drinks at the 
iDar, in which case it is free. ' ' 

During our stay at the "I^eon de ora," we never saw a glass 
of water sold, but the bar tender was kept busy giving it away as a 
premium to purchasers of cocktails at 20 cents each or plain brandy 
at 15 cents. There is a good deal of history lying around Leon, 
and the neighboring towns, but it is too familiar to bear repeating. 
There are the usual number of old churches with crumbling walls 
over grown with grass and moss, tile roofs, with eaves projecting 
far over the street, hundreds of small shops, a few large stores, the 
average amount of bell ringing, rattling of kettle drums, blowing 
of horns. 



182 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

A large uumber of antique vehicles, drawn by hungry looking 
horses, patroled the streets waiting for passengers, who seldom 
appeared. We thought it would be a philanthropic act to hire one of 
these turnouts and thus assist some poor but honest citizen. We 
accordingh^ hailed the sorriest looking individual we could find. 
He came quickly, his face beaming with delight. We were the 
first customers he had struck in three long, tropical days, so he said. 
As he stuck to his native tongue and we stood closely b}^ our own, 
there is a possibility of errors creeping into this report, however, he 
seemed very glad to secure our trade, and made us understand 
quite clearly that he would charge only one little degraded silver 
dollar for a whole hours service and that during that brief space of 
time he would drive further than au}^ other man in the city. We 
soon learned that I^eon held at least one honest cabmen, too hon- 
est by far. In less than five minutes we were trying to explain 
that we had made a mistake, we did not want to ride, he was quite 
welcome to the dollar, it was only a silver dollar and not worth 
much, onl}^ let us out — but he would not hear to it — he understood 
that the dollar was a debased and worthless coin, but we had given 
it to him in good faith and he was glad to get it, and he must give, 
us full value for the same. During this argument we were flying 
along at full speed, every few j^ards our relentless Jehu would give 
a wild w^hoop and cut the horses with a long but elastic switch, 
Avhich acted as a mild .stimulant. We were now rushing through 
long, muddy streets lined with thatched huts surrounded with cactus 
hedges. Wild, unkempt women stared after us in utter bewilder- 
ment, naked children fell over each other in their efforts to escape 
destruction, five hundred dogs followed in our w^ake, (the number 
is estimated, there may have been more) they were large, small and 
medium and the chorus, ranging all the way from the low bass of a 
lean and hungry hound, up to the lofty soprano of an English ter- 
rier — produced a musical medley seldom equaled — certainl}- never 
excelled. Thus we tore along at full gallop, up one narrow lane, 
down another. These back streets were unpaved and deep chuck 
holes filled with water occured at frequent intervals. Evers' time 
we plunged in to one of these dark abysses, there would be a cloud 
of muddy spray thrown over everything in the vicinity. We tried 
in vain to explain that we were in no hurry, begging our driver to 
take his time — tw-o hours, three hours, a half a day, a day if nee- 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 183 

essary, we would cheerfully pay him at regular rates. Money 
was no object to us, none whatever, but he was not to be moved. 
The more we argued, the louder he yelled and the harder he plied 
his lash. Now we struck the main thoroughfares. These were 
paved with cobble stone and bordered by shops of every descrip- 
tion. We thought certainly he would now reduce the speed; but 
we were disappointed; on the contrary he increased his efforts. 
We passed like a metor; the stores with all their array of parti-col- 
ored goods seemed like flying ribbons on either hand, no individ- 
uality, no detail, like a picture of new school, broad bands of color 
nothing more. We passed dozens of ruined churches, the great 
■cathedral of St. Peter, the plaza, the depot, only one third of our 
time used up. We were nearly dead with the jolting. Could we 
survive forty minutes longer? It seemed impossible. We tried to 
induce him to get down and take a drink, but he was a temperance 
advocate and could not be moved. On — on — we were leaving the 
cit}' now, over a soft dirt road. What could have struck the man, 
was he crazy; not at all, we were going to see the "Pantheon," 
everybody wanted to see that, he said. It was two miles out, the 
road was fairly good, we were thankful that the authorities had 
selected this remote site for a burr3dng ground. We actually 
enjoyed the ten minutes it took to reach the place of monuments. 
The country was beautiful, recent rains had revived vegeta- 
tion, the fields were well tilled, hedges neatly trimmed, the grass 
of that tender green that marks the new growth, man)^ flowering 
shrubs lined the way, while the monotomy of the remote forest was 
broken by masses of gorgeous color, caused by the blossoming 
of wild fruit trees. White, pink, purple and deep crimson 
added a charm to the landscape. Beyond the forest the foot hills 
rose, and even at this distance we could discern the pale green 
tints of the rice fields, and dark squares that represented the coffee 
plantations. Still farther away the Marabios range of mountains, 
filled the horizon, culminating in the volcano of Momotomba, 
whose barren summit is clearly visible from here — "Le Pantheon!" 
as our guide announced the name of the cemetery, he brought his 
prespiring team to a stand, and we were allowed to dismount for 
the first time — we thanked our tormentor for this brief respite, even 
offering him an extra dollar — which to our great joy he indignauth' 
refused to accept. We are among the tombs, a fair sort of grave- 



184 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

yard, all new, white and glaring, the trees and shrubs have just 
been planted, workmen are still emploj^ed la3'ing out and construct- 
ing the walks. vSome da}^ this will be a beautiful place, when the 
dazzling marble takes on the warm gray tones of age, mottled with 
dark brown patches and the ivy climbs to the top of the tall shaft, 
when the richly carved tombs are covered with silvery moss — then 
this place will be interesting. By that time the authorities will 
have become lax and the untrimmed trees will mingle their 
branches across these barren paths, there will be deep shadows 
with patches of sunlight falling between, the song birds will find 
it a quiet place to rear their broods, the beautiful and harmless cha- 
meleons will dart here and there reflecting all the colors of the 
rainbow, bees wull hum among the flowers and butterflies plaj^ 
hide-and-seek in the fragrant groves. Lovers will wander here 
and poets and all the good for nothing tribe, which the busy world 



xCO^ 



^^.^A 



^I ^ Tfvi 




ROUGH RIDIIsa 



dispise, but which the busy world would be loath to lose neverthe- 
less. We had used up ten minutes on the way out to this desolate 
place and spent ten more grumbling over it and were now ready to 
return. Twenty minutes yet, would our hour never end? If it 
was not that we were two miles from the "Leon de ora," we would 
abandon the craft and let it drift back at its own gait, but we are 
too lazy for the walk this hot day. We take our places, the driver 
mounts the box the long slender rod whistles through the air, the 
horses leap forward in anticipation of the blow — ten minutes and 
we strike the cobbled streets again, we beg to be let off, but no, we 
have paid for an hour and we mtist have the worth of our money. 
He would not have it said that he had cheated a stranger out of 
full ten minutes, so we race through street after street, up hill and 
down, scattering the crowds as we go and followed by a procession 
of mongrel curs. That last ten minutes seemed like an age, but 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 185 

just as we were about to make a desperate leap for "liberty or 
death," the coach came to a sudden stand and we found ourselves 
in front of the hotel, our hour was up; this exciting experience was 
followed in the evening by a grand "Feista" in honor of the Virgin 
Mar}^ with the usual din of bells, bands, cannon and fire works. 
After dinner we took a stroll through the plaza in front of the fam- 
ous cathedral of St. Peter. It looked very beautiful indeed at a 
little distance, its lofty walls bathed in the ruddy light of the set- 
ting sun. 

This huge building was begun in 1706, but so great was the 
undertaking that it was not completed until 1743. During the 
thirty seven years employed in its construction, over $5,000,000 
were expended. At the time of our visit, it was undergoing repairs 
and an army of workmen were engaged in redressing the walls, 
cleaning and regilding the splendid alters. Wax figures of the 
Virgin, the infant Saviour, the Crucified I^ord, and a number of 
celebrated prelates adorned the walls. There were also some very 
fine paintings imported from Paris. A narrow, winding stair of 
stone, leads to the tower, where we found a modern clock and the 
huge bells that may be heard for leagues around. The roof is of 
solid masonry, covered with cement that seems quite indestructa- 
ble. The vastness of the structure astonishes one. A regiment of 
soldiers might camp here and be in no wise crowded. We wan- 
dered over this quiet plain of stone for a full hour, loosing our- 
selves among the wilderness of towers, observatories and secret pas- 
sages. From this point of vantage we had a splendid view of the 
city which lay at our feet like a map. The various public squares 
looked like green patches in a huge quilt, while the solidly built 
portions were represented by blocks of red with yellow lines 
between, where we could see the people passing to and fro like 
ants. Beyond the outskirts of the town was a rim of cultivated 
fields, growing dim in the twilight, still further the mountains 
rose vague and indistinct like a bank of clouds. So pleasant the 
breeze, so fascinating the scene, we lingered until the stars began 
to peep forth and hundreds of Roman candles and thousands of 
rockets sprang upward as though to greet the heavenly host that 
looked down so serenely on all this confusion of light and sound. 
At the time of our visit, travel had been greatly stimulated by the 
reports so diligently circulated to the effect that work would be 



186 A HoosiER IX Honduras. 

commenced at once on the "Canal" — that tremendous joke of the 
Hon. Warner Miller — consequently hundreds of persons were 
attracted to Nicaragua, and the hotels were crowded with despond- 
ent victims, man}' of whom had recklessly invested their entire 
capital in the effort to reach this Eldorado, only to find a countr}" 
full of idle men, in which the annual revolutions had paralyzed 
every industry, and business of all kinds was at a stand — condi- 
tions which are considered normal by the lazy, thriftless natives, 
w^ho seem perfectly content to lie at full length in the shade of the 
crumbling walls during the daj^ and wander around the cit}- at 
night, playing and singing as free froin care as the buzzards that 
line the roadways, apparently. But Americans cannot exist in 
this happj^-go-luck}^ style, they must live at the hotel, and the 
landlord must be paid. Three of these nomads arrived the eve- 
ning of the Fiesta. They had traveled overland from Tegucigalpa, 
Honduras, where the closing of the Rosaria mines had thrown a 
large number of men out of employment. The glowing accounts 
published by the literary staff of the Canal Co. , had reached the 
remote mining camps of the neighboring state and the disappointed 
gold seekers now turned toward Greytown in crowds. 

Greytown is the eastern terminous and the point from which 
the work is supposed to be directed. Careful inquiry revealed the 
fact that no one in Nicaragua took the matter seriously, no inter- 
est w^as manifested in the enterprise, no faith placed in the prom- 
ises of the company. But the scheme had been systematically 
and successfully boomed in the States, and stock to the amount of 
$80,000,000 had been subscribed, of which we are told about 65i' 
per cent, had been paid in and absorbed — b}^ whom? Experts 
declare that all the improvements of any permanent value that 
have been made since the present company began operations, have 
not cost more than $100,000 or about 20 per cent, of the amount 
collected. So declares Mordecia Endicot, Naval Engineer, who 
was one of the government commission appointed to look over the 
property with a view of discovering, if possible, the actual condi- 
cions existing; whether the report of this commission is true or 
not, we do not pretend to sa}-, but whether true or false, the logic- 
ian finds himself driven irrisistly to one of two conclusions, either 
of which the promoters would not care to accept — at least publich' 
— viz: that a very small proportion of the $5,200,000 collected has 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 187 

been used — or, if this amount has been paid out for the improve- 
ments represented the total cost of the enterprise will run into hun- 
dreds of millions, and the time required will be reckoned bj^ 
decades rather than, years. 

From Leon we proceeded to Managua, the capitol cit)-, the 
distance was not great, but it included a trip across the lake from 
which the city takes its name. The scenery along the road was 
charming. We passed a number of populous towns. As soon as 
the train stopped at the station we would be surrounded by a crowd 
of men, women and children crying out their wares, all of native 
manufacture, fruits, flowers and cuiios, such as cocoanut shells, 
stained jet black, polished and engraved in intricate designs, show- 
ing a degree of skill quite surprising, considering the rude tools 
with which the natives perform the work. We were approaching 
the great volcano of Momotombo, its towering crest rose higher 
and higher and when we arrived at the village of La Paz about 
10 a. m., we found ' ourselves at its very base; its grand outline 
filled the whole eastern horizion; it was a beautiful and impressive 
sight. The following sketch is clipped from the Indianapolis 
Journal : 

"The village of La Paz, Nicaragua, situated on the shore of 
Lake Managua, is a place of small importance. "Our principal 
businesss here was to look at the mountain whose summit has 
never been trod by human feet. When the writer sailed from 
New Orleans three years ago he determined to make a special 
study of volcanoes, not from a scientific standpoint, but in an 
artistic sense, for they are not devoid of picturesque features, 
especially those situated within the tropics. Momotombo is a 
giant, standing 7,200 feet in his stockings; he is "rockribbed and 
ancient," and seemed to me to combine every qualitj^ a first class 
volcano should possess. He is bald-headed and smokes incess- 
antly after the manner of his tribe. He stands beside the lake and 
waves his white plume a mile and a half above the waters that rip- 
ple at his feet. 

Momotombo is the highest of the Marabios Range, and is one 
of the greatest purely volcanic masses in exi.-.tence. True, the 
summit of Cotopaxi is over 18,000 feet high, but the base, properlv 
speaking, begins at an elevation of nearly 14,000 feet aboA'e the 
Pacific. Here we have the whole grand ^ile in view at one glance. 



188 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

the shore-line marking the beginning of the ascent, which is barely 
200 feet above the sea. The first 2,000 feet which rises gradually 
for three miles is covered with a dense tropical forest, dark, dank 
and dismal, the haunt of serpents, scorpions and myriads of sting- 
ing insects. The trees are covered with vines and creepers and 
support an endless variety of orchids. In this lower belt droves of 
monkeys find a congenial home; above this 'is a second belt of 
woodland, but more open, with wide spaces of barren rock and 
grassy glades. The trees here are mostly oak and pine, and the 
acorns furnish food for the wild hogs which claim this region by 
right of conquest, but who hold their title only by superiority of 
numbers and eternal vigilance, and even then fall frequent victims 
to the fierce appetite of the mountain lions whose epicurean tastes 
are particularly gratified by the flavor of a young porker, At four 
thousand feet all traces of \^egetation disappear, and the vast cone 
rises abruptly, an unbroken mass of lava and scoria, to the yawn- 
ing crater, whose mysterious depths have never been explored. 

Long years ago some pious monks thought to cover themselves 
with glory and add lustre to the records of the holy church by 
planting a cross on the highest point. The fiery old monarch 
smiled grimly as he watched these pretentious beings creeping 
upward, slowly, laboriously. Now cutting their way step by step, 
through the all but impenetrable jungle, now scaling huge walls of 
basaltic rock that he had reared in infant sport ages past. On they 
came, slowly, painfully, but bravely withal, burning with religious 
zeal, dragging the ponderous emblem. They had passed the for- 
est zone, the last stunted pine was now far below; around and 
ahead stretched a world of cinders and volcanic debris. Here and 
there masses of black, igneous rock and blocks of pumice stone 
broke the otherwise smooth outline of this mighty ash heap. 
Undismayed by the awful desolation, they boldly entered this 
treacherous field of shifting ashes. Twenty-five miles away the 
blue line of the ocean was distinctly visible; below them, spread 
out like a map, with every detail accurately penciled, lay the lake 
and river, with a dozen villages half hidden among orange groves; 
far to the northwest the white walls of the Cathedral of Leon 
gleamed faintly through the blue haze. The angle of ascent w^as 
now increased to forty-five degrees, and the men sank to their 
knees in the yielding surface, raising clouds of blinding dust. 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 189 

From the interior of the mountain came a low, premonitory rumb- 
ling, like the bellow of an angry beast, low, deep and fearful. 

It was Momotombo's warning to these human insects; it was 
as if he said, "Thus far shalt thou come, but no further." But the 
voice was unheeded. With a muttered prayer they pressed on, 
defying the giant, who from his smoky throne had witnessed the 
rise and fall of continents a thousand years before the dawn of his- 
tory, perhaps. Ah! To be challenged by these midgets,! Momo- 
tonibo shook with wrath, and, lo, the desecrators of his solitude 
were no more. 

Just what caused the catastrophe can never be known, but 
the supposition is that in their struggle to advance they started a 
slide which soon became an avalanche, sweeping down with 
resistless force, burying the pious adventurers a hundred feet deep 
— not one escaped, and later explorers have been unable to find any 
trace of the ill-fated party. 

Some idea of the difficulties to be encountered in making the 
ascent may be formed when it is stated that the last stretch, of 
3,000 ft. is almost as steep as a church roof, being traversed in many 
places by deep fissures, from which clouds of steam and deadl}?- 
gases rise continually, so that the traveler is in constant danger of 
being suffocated should he escape the slides which are almost sure 
to occur, the whole upper portion of the cone being composed of 
loose dust and detached rocks which the slightest disturbance will 
bring down in a destructive avalanche. And so it happens the 
crater has never been visited by man. 

Great characters love to associate with their equals. Momo- 
tombo is no exception; therefore he occasionally invites a thunder 
storm to spend an evening in social chat. At first their voices are 
heard murmuring indistinctly, as they discuss some choice bit of 
gossip, but as the hours roll on the mirth increases, fed by the red 
hot cheer of the sulphurous larders, until the earth trembles with 
fear of the mad riot. In the morning, however, all signs of tumult 
have disappeared. There he stands smoking tranquill}^, extending 
the hand of peace to all the elements of earth and air. Age has 
now cooled the passions of youth, and though he frowns darklv at 
times, his anger is short-lived and easily appeased; a puff of 
blacker smoke or a spurt of ashes relieves the pressure, and he 
resumes the calm indifference that has characterized him for more 



190 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



than a century. Not so his diminutive neighbors, who indulge in 
so much fuss and fume, that unawary observers are often misled by 
their clatter. Especially is this true of Conseguiana, who, though 
boasting an altitude of only 3,800 feet, is a regular little "spitfire" 
and throws out such volumes of smoke and dust in her jeal- 
ous fits as to effectually hide her great rival. Her last outburst 
occured in 1835 when she sought to establish her superiority 
beyond cavil, by speading a coat of ashes ten feet thick over a vast 
tract of Nicaragua's best grazing lands; the area thus destroyed is 
roughly estimated at 300 square miles. On this occasion the finer 
dust was carried a distance of 400 leagues. At Kingstown, 
Jamaica, 700 miles away, the air was darkened by the cloud and 
streets and houses covered by the fine particles. Merchants exper- 




ON LAKE MANAGUA. 

ienced much annoyance and loss from the effects of the shower 
which, impalpable as air, penetrated the closest fiting cases, watch- 
makers and jewelers being especially unfortunate. 

We tarried many days at a'^ittle cafe, in front of which, in the 
cool shade of a pair of mango trees, we lay in our hammocks, 
smoking the delicate and fragment cigarettes our landlord's pretty 
daughter Bonita rolled for onr especial benefit. If at times we fell 
into a doze, I'm sure we were to be excused, in a land where the 
atmosphere is even heavier than that of the famed ' ' Sleepy Hollow, ' ' 
where the dear old Knickerbockers slumbered on from generation 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 191 

to creneration, umtil finally swallowed up by the advancing tide of 
modern enterprise; but mostly our eyes were turned towards the 
mountain, dreamily watching the shadows of the clouds as they 
glided slowly across it. The low murmur of tiny waves on the 
pebbly shore, the hum of insects among the blossoms overhead, 
the distant thrumming of a guitar, combined with the drowsy, 
atmosphere, filling our hearts with a sense of restful peace. Every 
day was a poem, every night a delightful interlude. Why not 
remain in this peaceful seclusion? Let those whose mmds are 
tormented with vain ambition continue the mad struggle for wealth 
or fame, or place— glittering baubles that reward for a moment a life 
of toil; hardly have they been secured when the hand that grasps 
them shrivels in death, and the tinsel toys become a source of 
contention among quarreling successors. 

The sun had set, and the mantle of night was drawn over the 
lower world, but the high crestof the mountain held the rosy light 
of evening, the upper fields of broken lava and scoria glowed with 
life and warmth, the deep gorges that scarred the vast dome were 
traced in dark blue lines on a ground of pale violet that gradually 
melted into a brilliant orange at the summit, the whole standing 
out in bold relief against a sombre sky. From the depths of the 
crater a luminous cloud rose slowly to a height of a thousand feet, 
where it spread out in all directions, a canopy of gold. This was 
our hero's hour of triumph. He had no rivals now, the tallest of 
his envious neighbors was lost in the gathering shadows, he alone 
remained visible, grand, glorious, invincible." 

We boarded the little steamer which lay waiting at the end of a 
long pier, which has been built out in the lake. We found the 
captain, paid our fare, ($1.50) and settled down to enjoy the four 
hours sail across this usually serene bit of water. 

The day was beautiful, not a cloud was to be seen, the air 
clear as crystal, the sky a deep, steely blue. We steamed slowly 
along the base of the volcano, watching the white vapor rising 
from^he crater and drifting away to the southward . The shore 
line was picturesque, consisting of bright green glades, broken here 
and there by rocky precipices, overhung with vines. The boat 
was crowded with natives, who were returning to the capitol from 
a sort of a religious pilgrimage to Leon, where they had taken part 
in the festivities of the previous day. 



192 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

They were mostl)- women and they lay around on the bales of 
of goods in graceful attitudes, a few were reading French novels, 
but the larger number put in the time smoking and sleeping by 
turns. About three o'clock we noticed a sudden commotion 
among the boat hands. The captain hurried here and there 
shouting orders in Spanish, men flew to the hold and returned 
_ with great rolls of canvass which they spread over the goods that 
were piled compactly on the deck. Then they lashed every loose 
thing fast, weaving a net work of heavj'' cables across the canvass, 
covering and tying down securely to the rail; meanwhile the 
crowd of natives began to weep and pray. We looked around for 
some sign of storm but could see none. The sun was shining 
brightly, the water rippled about the bows in bright green eddies, 
we could not understand all this haste. Far away to the south a 
dim vapor was visible, not dense enough to be called a cloud, sim- 
ply a hazy appearance, but the sailors knew what it meant and so 
did the natives. It was the sure sign of the dreaded "Chubasco," 
or tornado. This film of haze rapidly thickened until in less than 
ten minutes the southern horizon dissappeared and a heavy black 
curtain rose in its place. On it came rising rapidly, extending to 
the right and left, blotting out hill, plain and mountain heights. 
iSTow we could hear the roaring of the wind as the left wing mowed a 
wide swath along shore, then we watched its advance across the 
lake, a long white line of torn water marked its passage. Clouds 
of spray rose like steam, the sun was eclipsed by the dense vapor 
— we were enveloped in darkness — the storm was upon us. It 
seemed impossible for our little boat to survive in such a sea, or 
that such a small body of water should produce such tremendous 
waves. The steamer rolled like a log but the pilot kept her head 
to the wind. For two minutes, which seemed like hours, the mid- 
night blackness continued, and the noise of the tempest cannot be 
described. The water poured over the hurricane deck and found 
its way under the door of the captain's cabin, whither as many as 
■could squeeze in, had taken refuge. Furniture, chairs, men, 
women, books, papers, stationery, pens, ink, cuspidors, hats, bas- 
kets, fruits, cakes and candy were churned up together, many of 
the women to ill to stand fell on the floor, where they shrieked or 
prayed by turns. The men endeavored to keep an upright posi- 
tion by clinging to the slender beams overhead. Some of them 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



193 



swore, others laughed, while a few joined the women in frantic 
supplications to "San Antonia. " This was our first experience 
with a "chubasco" and we were quite satisfied. It was soon over. 
Half an hour later the sun was shining brightly, but the waves 
still rolled uncomfortably. Twelve miles away we could discern 
the city of Managua, simply a long line of white and pink spots on 
a pale blue ground of low hills. As we came nearer, our glasses 
were brought to bear' on the distant port, hundreds of people 
crowded the wharf. When we arrived about 5 p. m. we began to 
realize the force of the storm, a wooden town would have been 
swept into the lake, as it was, many houses were damaged, roofs 
blown awa)^ trees uprooted and the streets filled with debris. The 
crowd was now accounted for. The}^ were the friends and relatives 

of the passengers 
who had come to 
welcome them as 
returned from the 
grave. There was 
so much embrac- 
ing and weeping 
that we felt lonely. 
After looking about for a suitable object to cr}^ over, we found a 
;Sorry looking cabmen and fell— not in his arms — but in his coach. 
He drove us to the "Hotel Central," kept by Mr. Haslam, an 
Englishman. 

Managua, besides being the capitol city, is the most enterpris- 
ing town in the state, having a population of about 12,000 with 
quite a number of factories. The scene along the lake front pre- ' 
sented an animated appearance. Jets of steam rising here and 
there among the trees indicate the presence of mills of various 
kinds, the buzzing of saws and hum of machinery made pleasant 
music. The sandy beach for more than half a mile was in posses- 
sion of the women, whose lives are devoted to the destruction of 
clothing. 

These groups of scantil}^ attired women, with their black hair 
streaming in the wind, surrounded by piles of gaudy colored goods, 
delight the e5^e of the character sketcher, who finds here an inex- 
haustable mine to draw from. As fast as the pieces are washed 
they are stretched on the ground to dr}-, being anchored b\- a row of 







194 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

stones arouud the edge. To the children life seems one long holi- 
daj^ — they congregate here to race on the sand or swim in the surf, 
where they ride the waves like birds, or kick up their heels and 
dive into the g.een depths, onl}^ to re-appear fort)^ feet away, their 
black heads shining like polished ebony. 

Conspicuous among the enterprises of the city is the plant for 
the manufacture of artificial ice. The buildings of the company 
face the lake and being of modern design, present a fine appear- 
ance. The machinery, which includes all the latest improvemets, 
was supplied by the Consolidated Ice Machine Co., Chicago, 111., 
and the inventors deserve the thanks of all who live in tropical 
countries. This plant was running to its full capacity, supplying 
all the towns and cities touched by the railroad. The manager 
was an American, of course. 

Near the ice factory we found a large machine shop and 
foundry, known as the "School of Arts." It was built and main- 
tained by the government, we were informed, as a training school 
for natives, who were placed there under competent instructors in 
order that they might gain a thorough knowledge, not only of 
machinery, but pattern making, moulding, wood working and fin- 
ishing. However, the natives did not take kindly to such menial 
labor and very few graduates resulted. At the time of our visit, 
the "school" had degenerated into a repair shop for the railroad, 
and as such, gave employment to a couple of dozen men. As usual 
we found the Superintendent a native of the United States. He 
complained bitterly of having to train the ignorant natives, who 
show no inclination to acquire a mechanical education . Most of 
his assistants, he informed us, were the sons of wealthly parents, 
who had placed them there in order that they might be kept busy 
during the period that is supposed to be devoted to the sowing of 
wild oats. They took no interest in the work and never lost an 
opportunity to slip away and have a "time," all of which had to 
be overlooked, owing to the high social standing of their families. 

The new Palace, as these little republics insist on calling the 
buildings of the executive department, faces the principal plaza 
near the center of the town. It is a fine structure, as far as com- 
pleted, when finished it will occupy the entire square. The plaza 
itself is being improved, by the planting of trees and shrubbery. 

An attractive feature of the city is its public library, contain- 



A HoosiKR IN Honduras. 195 

ing about 10,000 volumes, a large reading room provided with 
comfortable chairs. Here we found all the great national news- 
papers, magazines, etc. The walls were hung with the portraits 
of those unfortunate patriots, who had been selected by an ungrate- 
ful people to serve in fear and trembling, for a term of four years, 
providing they were not found out by the bullet of an assassin or 
disposed of by some jealous rival, for in these countries revolutions 
rise with suddenness of the "chubasco," sweeping across the land 
leaving a trail of blood and charred ruins. The political sky may 
be perfectly serene in the morning, and night find the republic at 
the mercy of a hungry horde of rebels who respect no law, human 
or divine. 

During these periodical outbursts, murder and rapine mark 
the passage of either army; women and children fall victims to the 
blind rage of zealots, equally ignorant, equally enthusiastic, 
whether they belong to the forces of the government or the rebels 
— only echoes of these conflicts reach the outside world, the 
meager dispatches that form but a drop in the ocean of news 
published daily by the metropolitan press, convey no idea of the hor- 
rors that are being enacted. While here we spent a pleasant evening 
with Mr. Willis, U. S. Consul, and incidentlj^ learned something of 
the minor trials of those self-sacrificing souls who go forth to serve 
Uncle Sam in out-of-the-wa}^ places. Every citizen of the United 
States who finds himself in a foreign country invariably hunts up 
our representative, and expects to make the Consulate his head- 
quarters. 

He leaves packages there to be taken care of, uses the official 
desk for corresponding purposes, helps himself to the stationery and 
winds up by borrowing stamps to mail his letters — he also expects 
the Consul to drive him around the city and introduce him to the 
President. If in need of information he goes there to find it, 
if hard up he expects assistance, if "dead broke" a passage home, 
and if the poor worm of an official should someiimes turn feebly on 
the oppressor, he arouses a storm of indignant protest, sometimes 
followed by a letter addressed to the authorities at Washington. 
Such is the wail of this much abused class, but with all its sorrows, 
dissappointments and keen regrets, its terrors and its tears — there 
seems no lack of candidates for the uncomfortable position. 








\M 






CHAPTER XII. 

CITY OF GRENADA — HOTEIy DK I.OS LEONS. 

This city, at one time the capitol of the Republic, is about the 
same size as Ivcon, and its deadly rival. During the past century 
many conflicts have resulted from this spirit of jealousy, causing 
great loss of life and the destruction of millions of dollars worth of 
property. Of the two towns, Grenada is the most desirable as a 
place of residence; its situation on the shore of the beautiful Ivake 
Nicaragua, gives it an advantage that Leon can never hope to equal. 

Here we stopped at the "Hotel De I^os Leons. " This very 
interesting structure is a relic of the old da5^s of the Spanish 
dominion with high arched entrances provided with huge oak 
doors, which still hold the bullets they received during the nume- 
rous revolutions through which the city has passed. The building 
was erected by the church in the early days, and was for many years 
used as a convent; afterwards fitted up for a hotel, and is even 
more comfortable and inviting than the "Golden L,ion" of L^eon. 
Its proprietor, Mr. Downing, is a native of the United States, but 
having become fascinated with the climate and the beautiful 
daughter of a wealthy Don, he succumbed to the double attraction 

and has abandoned his native land to become a citizen of the 
country. 

The house occupies both sides of the plaza from which it takes 
its name, the "Plazuela De Los Deons," (little plaza of the lions.) 
The main entrance consists of a massive arch elaborately carved; 
on the frieze oyer the doors two lions of conventional pattern 
regard each other with a stony stare. Both seemed somewhat low- 
spirited, if the countenance is any indication of mental condition. 
Both are chained to the wall to prevent escape. Above these 
chained images, and filling the upper section of the arch, is the 
graven representation of the arms of Ferdinand the 7th. This 
portion of the work has suffered much from the ravages of time as 
well as bullets, the soft sandstone being so badly weather beaten 
that some of the finer lines are quite obliterated. In a crevice of 
the rock work a musket ball is sticking, a memento of the days of 
Walker, who made things very lively here in 1856. The doors, 
constructed of four inch oak planks securely bolted on to beams of 



198 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

proportionate strength, were splintered by musket balls and torn 
by cannon shot. Several large ragged holes attested the earnest 
character of the engagement. These great doors remain preciselj^ 
as they were left by the insurgents and form one of the most inter- 
esting landmarks of the city. 

Mr. Downing informed us that he had been offered $2000 for 
this pair of doors by an enthusiastic relic hunter, but he declared 
they were worth twice that sum as an advertisement of his house. 
So it will be seen that, while he had given up his title as a citizen 
of the chilly north, he still held fast to his early commercial train- 
ing, the jSrst principle of which is judicious advertising. 

The following from the New York Herald for August 17, 1889, 
shows with what eagerness such old time sovenirs are sought by a 
certain class of cranks, who possess the means of satisfying their 
craving for the curious. It also shows the accuracy of the 
reporter. 

"By telegraph to the Herald. Marlborough, N. Y. Two 
cedar doors over 480 years old have been received by Mead & 
Taft at Cornwall, from Mexico, to be placed in the residence of 
Mrs. R. S. Hays, at Millbrook, Dutchess County, N. Y. These 
doors were taken from one of the old Catholic monasteries which 
were erected in Mexico directly after the great massacre in the 
year 1400. Each door is four feet by eight feet in size, four inches 
thick and they weigh 600 pounds each. The stiles and rails are 
worked from solid wood and are fastened with wooden nails. 
There were probably no hinges when the doors were made as 
they appear to have been hung on pivots. The wood carving is 
plain and deep and one door bears a fine specimen of the art in the 
form of a cross of leaves. These relics were purchased by Mrs. 
Hays during a recent tour through Mexico. ' ' 

The above appeared in the Sunday Herald and helped to fill 
space that might have been devoted to legitimate advertising at 
the rate of $2.00 per line. It's a pity the correspondent omitted to 
name the price paid for the lumber, it must have been considera- 
ble. Doors taken from a Catholic monastery in Mexico, which 
flourished nearly a century before the discovery of America would 
naturally be valuable. It is also interesting to learn something of 
the great massacre that occured ninety-two years before Columbus 
sailed from Spain on his first western voyage. We would be glad 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



199 



to have fuller particulars, but to know that it occured and that the 
pious survivors immediately began the erection of this ancient 
building, is verj^ gratifying. It is also intensely interesting to 
read about the cross of leaves, which native fervor designed a hun- 
dred years in advance of the appearance of that symbol of Christi- 
anity in the Western Hemisphere. Taken altogether, there is a 
considerable amount of information tied up in the dispatch from 
Marlborough that will be of great value to the historian and anti- 
quarian. 

At Leon and Managua, we found the hotel crowded with 
travelers from all parts of the world, attracted by glowing accounts 
published by the literary staff of the Maritime Canal Co. Most of 
these adventurers had entered Nicaragua through the western gate, 
coming down from California, Mexico, Gautemala and the mining 




THE ARTIST'S DREAM OF LIFE IN THE TROPICS. M. O. H. 

districts of Honduras. All were pressing eagerly forward to Grey- 
town (San Juan Del Norte,) where they confidently expected to 
secure employment at almost any rate they might demand. A few 
had been down to headquarters, and being disappointed, were now 
retracing their steps, invoking blessings of doubtful import on the 
heads of the officials of the company. 

We spent some time looking over this old town and found 
much to interest and amuse. The intense pride and egotism of the 
native born citizen is unparalleled. The majority of these people 
have never been beyond the limits of the town, apparently, and 
fully believe Grenada to be the largest, richest and finest city on 



200 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

the globe. A cabman insisted that the population exceeded 200,- 
000 and pointed with pride to the grass grown towers of La Mer- 
ced, declaring that its like would not be found in any other cit}-. 
There were man}" mementoes of Merry William Walker's brief, 
but blood}' campaign, rows of deserted houses with broken walls 
and fallen roofs, over which kind nature has thrown a cloak of 
swaying vines ; tall trees have crowded up through the rotten 
rafters, and bright green lizards flash across the sunlit patches in 
pursuit of their prey. These were the homes of the aristocrats half 
a century ago and the fancy iron work of the projecting windows 
may still be seen covered with a thick coating of rust. Carefully 
we picked our way through one of these crumbling ruins. The 
interior was filled with decaying timbers, the dense growth of veg- 
etation overhead caused a darkness akin to night, strange fungus 
forms covered walls and casement, some of a bright yellow, others 
as red as blood and still others of a silvery whiteness which 
glowed with a phoresent light. Under the rubbish we found the 
old tile floors in perfect condition with here and there a fragment 
of brass, green with age. Beyond, in the inner court we discov- 
ered the ancient basin of a fountain long since silent. The 'space 
was filled with trees and shrubbery, so dense the growth that 
scarcely a ray of sunshine penetrated to the ground. Here were 
great logs, the remains of trees that had attained their full growth 
and fallen in their tracks, where they lay covered with moss and 
lichens. We found a melancholy pleasure in exploring these old 
time mansions. We could imagine them restored to their early 
granduer, the tiled floors were relieved by costly rugs, there were 
tables of oak with massive carved legs, the luxurious divan with 
its oriental silks, huge uncomfortable chairs of ancient pattern- 
Roses and oleanders fill the court with beauty and fragrance, the 
fountain restored, sends up a spray-like jet that cools the air like a 
breath from the ocean, and falling softly over a bed of shells bor- 
dered by ferns, makes drowsy music. The old Don is sitting 
under the balcony half asleep; a sharp eyed duenna is busily 
engaged on a piece of elaborate needle work, but not so busily as 
to overlook the actions of a young lady, who is apparently absorbed 
in her studies, but who is slyly reading a note which she has skill- 
fully disposed between the pages of her book. A beautiful green 
parrot, who enjoys the freedom of the yard, repeats slowly "Don 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 201 

Jose, Don Jose — Don." The young lady rises and taking poll 
across the inclosure whispers, "naughty poll — how could you" — 
then she returns to her seat with a ruddy glow on her cheeks that 
was not there before. 

It is evening, the full moon sheds a silvery radiance over the 
street, a bright-eyed senoita stands at the barred window, she is 
gazing dreamily on this beautiful scene, still there is an anxious 
look in her dark eyes. Here and there lights are seen among the 
deep shadows of the trees. Just across the way a traveling music- 
ian is playing some old Spanish airs, soon a crowd gathers about 
him, then a figure closely muffled separates itself from the throng, 
approaches the window softly, silently — it stops before the iron 
grating; anxious eyes are smiling now, there is a swift pressure of 
hands, a touching of lips between those cruel bars, a whispered 
consultation, a letter passed in; a light appears — Don Jose glides 
into the shadow; the Duenna finds only a young lady gazing 
dreamily on the moonlit street. 

The large airy rooms of the hotel open upon a wide balcony 
overlooking the central court with its masses of flowers and shim- 
mering fountains; here you may sit and smoke, enjoying the pres- 
ent or speculating on the future, your ears filled the while with the 
music of singiug birds and the murmur of falling water — but a 
traveler cannot always tarry in one place, no matter how pleasant 
the surroundings, so one morning we had our baggage placed on 
board a pretty little steamer that was being loaded for Castillo, a 
village on the San Juan River situated about midway between 
Fort San Carlos and Greytown. We had the pleasure of seeing 
the hold vStowed with connical shells, packages of powder and sev- 
eral hundred stands of small arms, for at that time the air was full 
of rumors of war. Costi Rica was watching every movement of 
her more powerful neighbor with jealous eyes, while it was openly 
charged that Bogran's recent visit to Gautemala was for the pur- 
pose of entering into an alliance by which the combined forces of 
that country and Honduras would be hurled against Nicaragua, 
therefore, all this military activity. 

Dake Nicaragua is one of the most beautiful sheets of water in 
the world, deep, transparent, sparkling. Its shore scenery, with 
its ever-changing features cannot be excelled. Now we pass high 
rocky precipices overrun with vines, and crowned with trees 



202 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

that hang their long branches far over the water. Now the forest 
comes down to the very edge of the lake and again there will be 
found wide, bright green glades with here and there a clump of 
live oaks, their rich, dark foliage contrasting finely with the lighter 
tints of the grass. Occasionally we passed the hut of some lonely 
fishermen almost hidden among the bananas, which furnish his 
living, while he drags the lake for the city market. 

This lake, has an extreme length of about 90 miles, and is nearly 
45 miles across at its widest point. It takes its name from the 
Cacique Nicaro, a chief of some importance. He was the head of 
a numerous tribe of Indians, who resided on the banks in the 
neighborhood of the present town of Rivas, enjoying peace and 
plenty, until one unhappy day an old Spanish freebooter named 
Gil Gonzalez, discovered their retreat and gave them the choice of 
accepting the christian faith or being shot. They weakly 
accepted the first option and quietly went into slavery of the most 
degrading character. Such was the reward awaiting the converts 
of these evangelistic robbers of the sixteenth century. Could this 
old Cacique have forseen the consequences of the step he took that 
day he would have accepted the last alternative and died like a 
man, both he and his tribe, as it was, they lay down their arms and 
were baptized in the beautiful lake to the number of several thous- 
and, and in reporting the occurance to the king, old Gil spoke 
of this lake as "Nicaro's Agua," which with slight modification, 
it retains to this day. 

We stopped at Rivas long enough to take on a number of cat- 
tle, which were driven out over the long, narrow bridge that con- 
nects the landing with the shore about an eighth of a mile awaj^- 
many women also came out to meet the boat, bringing curios, such 
as cocoanut shells, ebonized, polished and engraved in elaborate 
and fantastic patterns. They also carried fruits, eggs and sweet 
breads. The cattle were quickly loaded by means of the steam 
crane. A strong rope was thrown over their long, spreading 
horns. The engine started, in a moment the animal found him- 
self swinging between heaven and earth, the next he was dropped 
uncermoniously on the lower deck, where they were closely tied to 
the rail to bellow and complain during the remainder of the voy- 
age. 

Stopped again at San Carlos to discharge those shells and 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



203 



rifles. While this was going on, we amused ourselves shooting at 
some alligators who seemed to enjoy the sport, at least they con- 
tinued to swim around and smile, which is an indication of amuse- 
ment. 

From San Carlos we have a fine view of the mountains of 
Costi Rica, their bold outlines rising far above the clouds. At the 
fort, ever34hing was bustle and confusion. A few dozen soldiers 
under the command of a French army officer, were busily engaged 
in digging ditches, throwing up enbankments, constructing maga- 
zines, mounting some ancient field pieces, that promise to be more 
destructive' to the garrison than the enemj^ 




MAKING TORTILLOS. 



This fort is situated at the head of the San Juan River, which 
supplied by this magnificent reservoir, begins its course full 
fledged and navigable for large boats from its very source to where 
it enters the harbor at San Juan Del Norte, or Grey town, with the 
eJcception of a distance of about one-fourth of a mile at Castillo, 
where the rapids occur. 

Having finished discharging her cargo of explosives and taken 
on a few more victims who had drifted thus far hoping to find 
immediate employment on the canal, the pilot turned the prow of 
the little steamer into the river and we were soon floating between 



204 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

banks beautifully diversified by forest and glade with here and 
there a patch of cultivated ground, though the open. land seemed 
mostly devoted to grazing purposes. We passed some fields of 
maze, others of rice, a few orange trees, a few small banana plan- 
tations, but for more than one hundred miles the shores were lined 
b}' an almost impenetrable jungle. 

Thus floating gently along, amid scenery of the most pleasing 
character, we arrived at the village of Castillo, which consists 
principally of one street strung along on a little shelf lying between 
the river and a series of high bluffs, on one of which we could trace 
the dark outline of the fort, from which the place takes its name. 
This fortification is splendidly situated, commanding as it does, the 
river and all approaches to the town. This is the fort that so dis- 
couraged Ivord Nelson that he gave up the idea of capturing it and 
returned home, at least a year older, if not sadder and wiser. 

From San Carlos we had been following the course of the 
much talked of canal that was to "change the tide of commerce," 
and thus affect, in a measure, the "destiny of all civilized 
nations." We strained our eyes and ears for some sign of the 
great work that we were led to suppose was being carried rapidly 
forward, but, both eye and ear were alike disappointed. There 
was neither sight nor sound to indicate that we were in the midst 
of the "greatest enterprise of modern times." The picturesque 
shores were silent and deserted with the exception of a few misera- 
ble huts occupied by herdsmen and their families. Our fellow 
passengers, some of whom had come thousands of miles expecting 
to find a ready demand for their labor or talents, gazed on this 
scene of desolation with ever-increasing disgust. They saw no 
beauty in the silent forest with its dense shadows and wonderful 
array of vines and creepers that over run the tallest trees, the 
broken cliff or open glade were alike uninteresting. I^ike the dis- 
appointed gold seekers of Honduras, they were blind and deaf to 
everything but the fact that they had come on a fool's errand and 
must return with a fool's reward. 

The transfer of baggage and freight occupied two days, so we 
had plenty of time to explore the village and visit the fort, which 
we were invited to do by the Commandante, who took great pride 
in showing us over this ancient fortification, which had success- 
fully stood out for months against the great Nelson. 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 205 

Castillo is a miserable little village having no interest for the 
traveler aside from the ancient fort and the fact that this is the 
point selected for the construction of a dam and lock, the former 
sixty-five feet in height by 1500 feet in length, which will submerge 
the town and raise the level of the river to that of the lake which 
forms its source, so that the ship having once attained this eleva- 
tion will meet with no further obstruction until it arrives within three 
miles of the Pacific, where it will begin its descent to the sea by a 
rapid series of steps, dropping down 110 feet to the harbor of Brito 
or San Juan Del Sur through three locks known as No. 4, 5, and 
6. As a matter of course this improvement will destro}' the pres- 
ent town and as the officials declared that work would begin 
immediatel}^ on the arrival of men and machinery, which were 
then actually on their way from New York, (their "departure from 
that port had been cabled,) the residents exhibited no alarm and 
we found the people could not be induced to regard the scheme in 
a serious light. Old men had witnessed the rise and fall of canal 
booms at periods more or less regular from their earliest recollec- 
tions, besides they had an accumulated stock of legends of the same 
sort inherited from their fathers and grand-fathers. 

We met some engineers at this point, who were looking over 
the ground and constructing the dam on paper. Ic looked very 
pretty and realistic. A verj' large ship was being raised and inter- 
ested passengers were leaning on the rail watching proceedings. 
It was an odd spectacle to see this huge Atlantic liner maneuvering 
in the woods with cocoanut trees bending over and sweeping the 
deck. I think the picture showed some of the passengers picking 
the nuts as- they passed. The author of this design was more than 
a draughtsman, more than an artist, more than a poet — he was a 
prophet, whose sharp vision found no difficulty in penetrating the 
mists that hang over the horizion of the future. He had even 
attired the passengers of this phantom ship with garments 
undreamed of by the most farseeing leader of fashion. All this 
was to be accomplised by the summer of 1894 — at tlie verv farthest 
1895! 

While here we witnessed the celebration of St. Jeromes Day. 
Just what St. Jerome did to deserve such noisy honors, we could 
not learn. That he flourished 1600 years ago and was a diligent 
student and traveler, as well as a writer of religious literature, was 



206 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

perhaps excuse enough for the loud demonstration tendered his wax- 
en image, which was covered with flowers and carried the length of 
the street, proceeded by a dozen masked men, each of whom 
was armed with a wooden sword wnth which they engaged in pla}^- 
ful combat, the main object being to knock off each others hats or 
break the opponents weapon, either event being followed by the 
enthusiastic applause of the crowd. Following the figure came a 
procession attired in all manner of outlandish costumes, some blow- 
ing horns, others discharging rockets. The Cabildo and principal 
stores were decorated with palms and flowers, and all business sus- 
pended, except that of the vender of aguardiente and similar fiery 
fluids — consequently many of the swordsmen were using thir sticks 
very earnestly indeed before the day was over, and heads instead 
of hats were the objects of attack. Whenever one was "knocked 
out" the officers carried the hero to the Cabildo, where he was 
rubbed back to life or taken away by his friends. 

The transfer of goods having been completed at last, we found 
ourselves on board a very ancient stern wheeler, that had been 
worn out as a friegliter on the lower Missisippi a generation since, 
but which was considered quite equal to the demands of the San 
Juan. 

The lower deck was crowded with cattle, and the upper floors 
were none to clean, however, the discomforts of the boat were for- 
gotten in the contemplation of the scenery of this remarkable 
river, rivaling that of the Amazon in the richness and variety of its 
vegetation, while the broad smoothly flowing stream reflected 
every leaf with the accurac}^ of a mirror — the forest den§e as a wall 
came down to the water's edge — masses of flowering vines swayed 
in the breeze, adding the charm of color — birds of brilliant plumage 
made frequent excursions from shore to shore — there were parrots, 
green, scarlet and golden, but the most beautiful bird was the 
white Heron, which we noted at times, standing, sentinel-like, 
where the mouth of a stream formed a shallow bay overhung with 
foliage — strange sounds, too, came from behind these green walls — 
denizens of the forest, contesting for some choice prize — maybe. 

Refering to my note book I find we arrived at Greytown about 
11 p. M. but did not go on shore until morning — when we registered 
at the "Hotel Victoria" kept by Mrs. Kimball, an English lady. 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



207 



who doubtless thinks to honor her sovereign by thus borrowino- 
her title. 

As usual, we found the town filled with strangers waiting for 
the canal. Every boat bought new adventurers. Some had been 
on the ground over a year, expecting to see active operations 
at any time, many were suffering from fever. 

The town consists of two long streets, lined with frame 
houses thatched with palm leaves. The land is perfectly level. 
On every side extend bayous lined with mangrove swamps, ripe 
with malaria and deadly fevers, not to mention the clouds of mos- 
quitoes and sand flies. A vertical sun fairly scorches the earth 





MOMOTOMBO. 



between showers, which occur almost daily during the dry months 
and day and night the rest of the year. 

The only pleasant feature of the place is the great variety of 
tropical fruits that abound, and which attain here their greatest 
perfection. Every garden is an orchard filled with orange, cocoa- 
nut and bread fruit trees. The square or plaza, is lined with man- 
gos, whose dense foliage make a most grateful shade— when 
the sun shines. Here we buy twelve oranges for five cents, equal 
to Florida's best, bananas for the picking. The .population con- 



208 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

sists. largely of Jamaica negroes, with a sprinkling of Caribs, the 
whites being in the minority. 

Not many persons survive through a half century in this clim- 
ate, but one such we found who had witnessed the bombardment 
which occured in the early fifties; having some curiosity to learn 
why an American captain should be so foolish as to waste good 
powder and shot on such miserable huts as those about us, we 
sought this ancient man, whose long, white beard and deeply fur- 
rowed cheeks, told of 5^ears of suffering and innumerable encoun- 
ters with the fevers that carry away about nine-tenths of the inhab- 
tants w^ho have the temerity to remain among these pestilential 
wilds. 

"Well" said he, "let me see, it's been a good while ago, and 
though I remember the day, with the excitement and terror that all 
but paralyzed the poor Indians and Negros, who would not have 
been more frightened if told that the end of the world was at hand, 
yet I cannot at this late hour give an)- accurate account of the 
causes leading thereto. The wretched inhabitants fled in every 
direction seeking safety in the vast swamps, where they crouched 
like hunted beasts, during the hours of that shameful and inex- 
cusable canonade. Of course, every one now acknowledges that 
the Americans where wholly at fault, but I have never learned 
that any adequate remuneration was made for the property 
destroyed or any apolog)- offered for the insult to a sister republic, 
albeit a very weak and defenceless one. 

As near as I can remember the circumstances, the)^ were 
about like this: — The captain of an American steamer, one 
of a line running between this port and New York, being 
ashore one day — think it was in May, had been drinking a little 
more than a prudent captain should, meeting a negro on the street 
he began to abuse hini and when the fellow resented the attack 
the captain drew his revolver and shot him down. There was no 
excuse whatever for the outrage. It was a deliberate, cold-blooded 
murder. Of course, the officials were soon notified, and the Alcalde 
and deputies started in pursuit of the murderer, who being 
unable to escape to his vessel, sought refuge under the flag of the 
American Consulate. Of course the place was soon surrounded by 
a crowd of angry, excited negroes, who loudly demanded his sur- 
render, but the American Minister, Borland, I think was his name, 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 209 

refused to give up the fugitive, thereupon the mob became more 
boisterous. Some cried, 'Burn the office,' 'Pull down the flag,' 
'Hang them both.' Meanwhile some shots were actually fired at 
the ensign and, had it not been for the Alcalde the mob would 
have had their will. As it was, a number of -missies were thrown, 
one of which struck Mr. Boland, causing an ugly, though not dan- 
gerous wound. Meanwhile word had reached an American vessel 
that was lying in the harbor and a boat was sent under a strong 
guard to take off the guilty captain, which having been accom- 
plished, fifty thoroughly armed men were left to protect the prop- 
erty of the transit company. Of course, the incident was promptly 
reported at Washington in such a light that the captain was made 
to appear a martyr, and an armed sloop was at once dispatched to 
the scene, which arriving before the town, the commander immed- 
iately informed the authorities that he would bombard the place 
within a few hours. Then there was weeping and wailing. 
Women ran up and down the streets screaming, some with their 
armed filled with trinkets hastily gathered up, others carrying 
helpless babies, whose piteous cries added to the confusion. The 
men were even more excited, and though scared half to death, the 
desire to save their scanty hoards rose above the dangers of the 
hour and while some ran back and forth wringing their hands in 
helpless agony, the majority were bending under loads of furniture, 
bedding, dishes, clocks and mirrors. Still others were hurriedly 
hurrying their jewelry and plate in all sorts of odd corners, some of 
which have never been located to this day. 

One old white-haired darkey was seen struggling with an enor- 
mous clock of ancient pattern. It was fully a foot taller that its owner. 
The heavy weights rolled from side to side while the striking appar- 
atus, dislocated by such rough usage, kept up a sonorous protest, sol- 
emnly telling of the hours regardless of time and place. However, 
it proved too much for the old fellow, who, after dragging it a hun- 
dred yards or so, was forced to abandon it. As the hour of doom 
approached, the streets became almost deserted, and when the first 
shot was fired the only response it aroused was the dismal howls 
sent up by a band of stray dogs, who crowded together as though 
for mutual protection. 

Of course, no great damage resulted from the bombardment of 
a town of straw huts, and after the captain had knocked a few of 



210 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



the flimsey structures to pieces and destroyed a few more by the 
torch, he withdrew, but it was a long time before the darkies 
recovered from their fright and the ver}^ mention of an American 
was enough to cause a panic." But this was when we were a young 
and foolish nation — such hot haste to avenge the wrongs, real or 
fancied of American citizens in these days would be considered 
quite out of place — undiplomatic — the conservative element of our 
dearcountr}^ would be shocked beyond measure, at the bare sugges- 
tion of sending a war vessel to entorce the rights of American citizens 
which are being daily outraged by the Spanish barbarians in the 




CAMP SAN FRANCISCO, SAN JUAN RIVER. 



Island of Cuba — as witness the call of Gen. lyee recently issued in 
behalf of the murdered Dr. Ruiz — and dozens of other cases equally 
aggravating. * 

The New York steamer "Hondo" having arrived, we took 
passage for Belize, and ten da3^s later found ourselves once more 
before the capitol of the little British Colony where our wanderings 
began a few months earlier. The harbor was calm and beautiful 
and the view from the steamer's deck seemed even more charmiug 
than on our first visit. A slight haze hung over the distant cox- 
comb mountains, several large sailing vessels and the usual crowd 

* Written before the desecration of war — a course which ou^ht in justice 
to ourselves, and in the name of humauitj^ been entered upon twenty 3'ears 
earlier, that it was not, is sufficient evidence of the peaceful character of the 
great American nation. 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 211 

of smaller water crafts lay rocking in the bay, among which the 
Carib Dory was as ever conspicuous. 

The custom house officer having examined our various trunks 
and valises and finding nothing contraband, we were allowed to 
send them ashore, where we followed shortly and were soon com- 
fortably established at the "Union Hotel." Naturally our first 
thoughts were of Mr. Horn and the millions which he came to res- 
cue from the grasping sands of Turneff Island. I thought he would 
need some help to handle such a large amount of heavy metal and 
so proposed to offer my services. I therefore, made inquiry 
immediately to learn where he was stopping so that I might hasten 
to congratulate him upon the successful completion of his labors 
and place my knowledge of finance at his disposal— for a consider- 
tion. Judge my sorrow and disappointment when I learned that 
the enterprise had been abandoned months before. The story is 
soon told. Mr. Horn and his companion, were kept waiting 
nearly six weeks before they received official sanction to begin the 
search. Kach day of delay caused an increase of anxiety, as he 
imagined the governor was lending his influence to another party 
who were working day and night to get in ahead and thus deprive 
him of the opportunity of his life: The disappointment thus 
incurred from week to week, so told upon his health that when he 
finally came into possession of the longed for document, he was 
scarcely able to undertake the work. However, he hired a num- 
ber of men and tools, and moved over to the scene of action. They 
had just begun operations under the most favorable auspices when 
a heavy storm arose, during which implements, boats and supplies 
were mostly swept away by the waves and Mr. Horn was drowned 
by the capsizing of his dory. His partner, whose faith had never 
been strong, now abandoned the project and returned to the States. 
Thus ended another chapter in the long history of disasters that 
has followed the treasure hunter from time immemorial, but with 
all these evidences of the utter folly of seeking imaginary wealth, 
where horse sense would teach that the chances of success are 
less than one in a million, the dealers in divining rods continue to 
flourish and the clairvoyant still points outs pots of gold for any 
fool who has an ordinary silver dollar to exchange for such 
information, and when they fail to find the treasure the attribute it 
to ill luck or some "evil influence," and lock the secret of their 



212 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

foil}' in their hearts instead of falling on their deceivers and reduc- 
ing them to fine powder. We wished to return via New Orleans, 
but soon learned that, although the Central American coast is the 
most healthful of any in the world, the foolish officers composing the 
board of health of the Crescent City, refused to receive passengers 
from this and neighboring ports. Galveston and Mobile were also 
quarantined against us, and the only avenue to escape was to take 
passage for New York or Norfolk, Va. While waiting for a vessel, 
we spent our time calling on old friends. Among others, we ran 
across an Englishman whom we had met in the mountains of Santa 
Barbara, about three months. previous. He was then on his way to 
Belize. His home was at Segautapeca, an Indian Peublo, which 
happened to be on our route. When he learned that we would pass 
through the place, he insisted that we should stop at his house. He 
said that he had been a resident of Honduras over thirty years. He 
came to the country in 1859, expecting to make a fortune in a few 
months in the mines, but soon found he was putting more gold 
into the earth than he was getting out, and having recorded a sol- 
enm vow to the effect that he would never return to England until 
he could take a fortune with him, he began looking around for 
some more profitable field of labor, the longed-for opening did not 
appear, and after drifting from place to place, experimenting with 
fruits, coffee and nutmegs, making a little one season only to loose 
it the next, he was surprised to find ten years had slipped away 
and the fortune still as far in the distance as when he first landed, 
but his determination to make a "stake" before returning to his 
native land was still unbroken. Pondering on the situation one 
day, he conceived the brilliant idea of marrying the daughter of a 
wealthy Don, whose acquaintance he had made in one of his trips 
through the department of Santa Barbara, the old chap was the 
owner of several square miles of fine grazing lands, sprinkled over 
with some three thousand head of lean stock, in fact he was 
regarded as a cattle king in his day, but of all his possessions, Senor- 
ita Marie, his only daughter, was by far the most precious, and it 
was no wonder that the young Englishman should fall before the 
glances of those eyes that had already proved fatal to a dozen or 
more native suitors. At the time we speak of, the old ranchman 
was preparing for his annual pilgrimage to the city of Guatemala, 
the metropolis of Central America, and the great cattle market for 
a wide stretch of country. 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



213 



Every year the Don with a half dozen herdsmen would make 
this trip driving their long horned cattle over the mountains, cov- 
ering about two leagues a day on an average. This was the Don's 
one distraction; and was looked forward to for weeks. A month 
was usually spent on the road and a week at the gay capitol. It 
was during this time that our friend, taking advantage of the hos- 
pitality that opens every door to the stranger, made his home with 
the family of the absent lord, where his social talents soon captured 
every heart; the Don was growing old. The ever increasing busi- 
ness demanded a man of affairs to oversee the Hacienda, keep 




CASTILLO, NICARAGUA. 

accounts and act as general manager. Who could be better fitted 
for such a position than the Englishman. The place was offered 
at a salary that was quite satisfactory. Six months latter, the 
beautiful Marie was included in the contract, and the marriage 
duly solemnized in the village "church amid great rejoicing, and 
this was how it came to pass that plain Bill Barlow became a Senor 
Don, and the owner of more acres than he could count, for he had 
not only kept the family estate intact but had added to it by degrees, 
. until his cattle now range for miles over mountain and plain. 
All this and much more, he related as we sat and smoked under 
the shade of the long gallaries of the Union Hotel. Among other 
yarns he related was the true history of the word "Gringo," now 
universally applied to English and American travelers or residents, 



214 A HoosiER IN Honduras. 

but especiall}^ applicable to those vagrant characters, who roam 
from place to place without any apparent business such as news- 
paper correspondents, artists, musicians and the like good-for-noth- 
ing tramps. The origin of this expressive phrase, Don William 
assured us, might be traced back to the earl}'- sixties — probably 
sixty-one. 

That year a party of young Scotch students made a tour of the 
country in the guise of minstrels. They had a royal good time, 
singing the songs of Auld I^ang Syne, and making love to the 
pretty daughters of the unsophisticated farmers who felt themsel- 
ves highly honored by the attention of the gay foreigners, whose 
words they could not understand, but whose sentiments needed no 
interpreter, and many a girl of that day remembers the moonlit 
walks, the music, and the vows so solemnly pledged under the 
spreading boughs of the giant ceiba tree, which threw its black 
shadows across the path just at the proper time and place! 

The leading song by which this party of happy roustabouts 
became known, was that charming ditty by Burns, which so accu- 
rately reflected the minds of the singers, "Green grow the rashes 
O," while the natives could not understand a word of the language, 
they were entranced by its melody, and the first two words merged 
into one with a slight modification, became typical of foreigners in 
general and English in particular. 

So strong the impression made by this simple jingle, that the 
first verses may still be heard repeated by the native singers to 
whom the words remain a mystery. 

"Green grow the rashes O, 

Green grow the rashes O, 
The sweetest hours that e'er I spend, 

Are spent among the lasso O." 

There's naught but care on every hand, 
' In every hour that passes O, 

What signifies the life of man, 
And 'twere not for the lasses O?" 

This is Don William's version — it may be true — or it may 
have been an innocent invention of Mr. Barlow's to help pass away 
the time, or secure undying fame by getting his name in this book. 

A week later the writer stepped on the wharf at Norfolk, in a 
howling blizzard of snow — and the scenes and incidents herein 



A HoosiER IN Honduras. 



215 



described, became a memory of the past — a dream from which all 
that was disagreeable speedily faded. Fleas, auts, scorpions, tar- 
antulas and centipedes were forgotten — only the glorious sky with 
its never ending procession of days filled with golden sunlight were 
recalled, and sometimes during the winter that followed he would 
imagine that he could detect the odor of orange blossoms when 
the wind blew softly from the south, as it sometimes does in Feb- 
ruary; or some distant sound at twilight would awaken the mem- 
ories of the tuneful guitar and the sweet but pathetic Spanish 
songs, and moonlit streets of I^eon and Grenada. 





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